Always and Forever Yours (Still)
by lateVMlover
Summary: This is the promised sequel to "Always and Forever Yours" and should not be read as a stand alone. It picks up about 2 months after the other and will follow season 3 as the sire lines battle it out, but the Mikaelsons now have more powerful allies in Buffy and Willow.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to "Always and Forever Yours" and should not be read unless you've read it. It will be set primarily in New Orleans and follow season 3 of** ** _The Originals_** **. Chapter one has a few BTVS characters, but for the most part, Buffy, Willow, and maybe Faith will be the only BTVS characters. Although this follows season 3, I won't be sticking to the episodes exactly because things are already different since I had Hayley's curse broken early. Also, I don't have time to rewatch the season and episode guides are vague.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own BTVS or the Originals.**

Chapter 1: Buffy's Man

 _******England******_

Elijah sat drinking tea, watching Buffy talk with her father figure Rupert Giles. They had been traveling together for the past two months. Their time together had been the happiest months of Elijah's undead life. Buffy was radiant, a force of nature that brightened every room she was in. She had been worried about her reception by the slayers, but she shouldn't have. It was clear to Elijah that they held her in awe. She was a mythical creature to them, the standard by which they judged one another. When she sparred with them, Elijah could see the determination on their faces. A compliment from her brought smiles to faces. Clearly, she was loved by them all. He thought back to his first trip out of New Orleans with her.

 _Flashback_

 _After they left New Orleans, they went to New York where her sister Dawn was living with her husband and child._

 _Buffy's sister was a much taller but equally beautiful woman with intelligent eyes._

" _I'm so glad you're here!" Dawn said excitedly. "Xander is picking Joy up from pre-school summer day camp."_

" _What?" Buffy asked. "She's only three."_

" _This is New York. They start kids early here!" Dawn said, smiling. "If we lived in Manhattan, we'd be competing for a spot!"_

" _That's insane," Buffy said, shaking her head._

" _Who's your friend?" Dawn asked, eying the very handsome and debonair man that was standing quietly in the background._

 _Buffy beamed and grabbed Elijah's hand. "This is Elijah Mikaelson, my man," she introduced._

 _Dawn's mouth fell open in surprise. "That hunk is yours? Seriously?" Dawn asked with a laugh. She held out her hand and shook Elijah's. "It's nice to meet you. It takes a strong and brave man to be with my sister. You must be special."_

" _Well, I was powerless to resist your sister's many charms," Elijah said, looking down at Buffy with a fond smile. Buffy smiled lovingly back at him._

" _Can I speak to my sister a moment?" Dawn asked, taking Buffy's hand and dragging her into the next room._

 _Of course, Elijah could easily hear the conversation._

" _Why didn't you tell me that you met someone?" Dawn asked, a note of hurt in her voice._

" _Because I wanted you to meet him in person. It's very new. I met him two months ago when I went to New Orleans. He's a friend of Giles," Buffy said._

" _Giles knows about him?" Dawn asked._

" _Well, yeah, he knows. We're going to go to England after we go to Cleveland and see Faith," Buffy said._

" _So, this is serious?" Dawn asked._

" _I love him, Dawn. He's the one," Buffy said quietly._

 _There was silence a moment. Then Dawn gave a happy sequel. "I am so glad, Buffy!" she exclaimed._

 _When the two women came back into the room, the front door opened._

 _A dark-haired young girl ran ahead of the man screeching, "Aunt Buffy!"_

 _Buffy knelt and hugged the girl._

 _The man looked suspiciously at Elijah, who gave him a benign smile. The man's eyepatch and piercing gaze was a surprise. This was the White Knight, Buffy's protector, her oldest friend. Now he was her brother-in-law._

 _He gave Elijah a smile. "Hello," he said. "I'm Xander."_

" _Elijah Mikaelson," Elijah introduced, extending his hand._

" _This is my boyfriend," Buffy said, rising with Joy in her arms. She leaned against Elijah._

" _I'm not a boy," Elijah chided._

 _Buffy giggled. "He's my man. Is that better?" she asked, giving him a teasing grin._

" _Much," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders._

 _Xander laughed. "Well, I can see your taste has improved a bit. But you're still falling for vampires," he said, shaking his head._

 _Everyone looked at him while Joy gave him a fearful look. "What?" Dawn asked. "He's a vampire?"_

" _How could you tell?" Buffy asked Xander in surprise._

 _Xander shrugged. "I just know," he said. "I take it he's not evil?"_

" _No, he's not evil. He's from a different line, and he has no demon. His mother was a powerful witch that turned him and his siblings into vampires in a foolish attempt to save them from neighboring werewolves," Buffy explained._

" _That sucks," Xander said sympathetically._

" _So, he's a lot older than you, huh?" Dawn asked knowingly._

" _A bit," Buffy agreed. "But he's immortal and now so am I. He is as strong as I am."_

" _Impressive," Xander said._

" _So, he's like Uncle Spike?" Joy asked._

" _Sort of. He's older and stronger, and his vamp face isn't quite so ugly," Buffy said in amusement._

" _Cool," Joy said happily. She loved Spike, so as far as she was concerned, Elijah was okay._

 _Elijah felt relief that Buffy's family was so accepting of him._

End of Flashback.

Elijah found that the people who loved her were more than willing to embrace him, regardless of his nature. When the slayers in Cleveland found out that he could move much faster than the vampires they killed, he was extremely popular. The girls loved sparring with him, and he spent much time working with them.

He and Buffy spent two weeks in New York and two weeks in Cleveland. Elijah went on more than one battle with Buffy and her slayers. He mostly observed because the slayers thought his method of fighting dishonest. It amused him greatly. Speeding and ripping out hearts was a very effective way to kill an enemy. However, he discovered that the Dark Slayer and her other slayers relished the fight way too much to have it end so quickly. That's when he just went with them as back up. Mostly, he watched. Rarely did they need his help.

They were a sight to behold. As he watched them, he knew that Niklaus would be utterly infatuated. However, it was the Dark Slayer, Faith, he would most fascinated by. Giles got up and left as Buffy sauntered over and sat down on his lap—it was her favorite chair.

"I'm so happy, Elijah," she said, snuggling into his embrace. "Thanks for this."

"Thanks for showing me your world," Elijah said.

"I've loved seeing yours, too," she said, raising up her head for a kiss.

"How about Paris? I'd love to take you to Paris this weekend. It's a city for lovers," Elijah said, smiling.

"Paris? Seriously? I'd love to go. We went there once killing some demon big-wig, but I didn't see the sights," Buffy said.

"Elijah," Rupert said as he entered the room. "I have a new book that you might find fascinating."

Elijah planted a final kiss on Buffy and then rose to follow the head Watcher out of the room.

Buffy found them an hour later in the library. It amused her greatly that Elijah loved old books as much as Giles. However, he was not really a stuffy bookworm like some of the Watchers.

Her phone rang before she could interrupt. She pulled it out and saw it was Willow.

 _*****New Orleans*****_

"Hey, Buffy," Willow said. "How's things going?"

"Perfect. We're having the best time. Elijah is getting his geek on with Giles right now. It's so cute!" she gushed.

Willow smiled, picturing it. "I'm glad you're having fun," she said.

"How about you? Sick of New Orleans yet?" Buffy asked.

"Not really. It's too fascinating. I've been learning about ancestor magic from Davina and Freya. I've been teaching them how to use magic without the ancestors," Willow shared.

"Any more problems from the ancestors?" Buffy asked.

"No. Vincent told me that they're probably waiting to see what I do next. I've not tried to take over anything, so it should be apparent that I'm not a real threat unless challenged," Willow said.

"How's Klaus?" Buffy inquired.

"Relentless. That's why I'm calling. He won't quit trying to seduce me," Willow complained.

"Well, why don't you let him seduce you? I'm sure it'll be highly enjoyable. Let me tell you that Original vampires are in a whole other league! Talk about stamina!" Buffy said with a happy sigh.

"Really?" Willow said with interest.

"Do you find him attractive?" Buffy asked.

"Well, of course. He's a hottie. Those dimples!" she said with a sigh.

"Then go for it. You don't have to have a real thing with him," Buffy said.

"But I really like Freya," Willow admitted.

"Huh?" Buffy asked in surprise. "You're attracted to Freya?"

"Why wouldn't I be? She's a hot witch," Willow said.

"I don't think she's been with a woman before, Will," Buffy said. "I can ask Elijah, but he might not know. She didn't grow up with them like Rebekah did."

"I don't want to sleep with Klaus if I might have a chance with Freya," Willow said. "Besides, he really fancies Cami."

"I noticed some sparkage between them, but she doesn't seem to want to go there. Nor did Klaus for that matter," Buffy pointed out.

"Still. I don't want to be that girl," Willow said.

"I get it," Buffy said in understanding.

"When are you coming back to town?" Willow asked.

"Soon. We've been everywhere we want to be, and I introduced him to everyone I love. He showed me his home town where he grew up. Then other places in Europe that they lived over the years. He's got a few properties scattered everywhere. It's been amazing, Will," Buffy said dreamily.

"I'm glad, Buffy. You need this," Willow said. "There's a new killer in town. Klaus ran into this cop that Cami mentioned to him. The cop is smart. Klaus isn't worried, but Vincent is. It doesn't look like a vamp kill. Could be a human psycho."

"Hmmm. Well, be careful at night. You're human, and it's possible for creatures of the night to get the drop on you," Buffy warned.

"Don't worry. I never go anywhere without a Mikaelson. Rebekah's still here. I'm about ready to try my hand at raising Kol from the dead," Willow shared.

"Do you think that's a good idea? Don't you have to channel dark magic to do that?" Buffy asked.

"I'm too in tune with the earth. Life comes from the earth. Dark magic is just one way to bring back the dead. Because Kol is a creature of magic, it's possible. He was both a witch and a vampire," Willow said.

"Don't do anything until we get back," Buffy said.

"Okay. Let me know when you're on your way," Willow said.

"We're going to Paris this weekend," Buffy said excitedly.

"Wow!" Willow said, impressed.

"Don't worry. I'll take lots of pictures!" Buffy assured her. "Love you."

"Love you, too," Willow said. Then she hung up.

"Was that the slayer?" Klaus asked as he came into the kitchen where Willow was at.

"Yep. She is having a grand time with your brother. He's taking her to Paris," Willow shared.

"That's good," Klaus said. "Are you ready to go to dinner? Cami and Freya are waiting."

"Oh, yes," Willow said. This was like a double date. The four of them spent quite a bit of time together. Cami was very likeable, and Willow loved her dry wit and keen intelligence. She knew Klaus so well. Sometimes, Haley and Jackson joined them. The werewolf had mellowed toward Klaus. She was fierce and snarky like Kennedy. Willow knew that between the two of them, Hope would grow up very strong. "What about Rebekah? Is she not joining us?"

"She's with Marcellus," Klaus said.

"She's been spending a lot of time with him lately. Are they getting back together?" Willow asked, having learned about their romantic past.

"I know not nor do I care. As long as they're not fighting or bringing me in the middle of their fight, I'm good," Klaus said.

When they made it to the restaurant, Klaus ordered an expensive bottle of wine. He sat next to Willow, draping his arm around her chair possessively.

"You know, Klaus, if you keep being so touchy feeling with me, people may get the wrong idea," Willow said, smiling at him.

"That I find you irresistible?" Klaus said, flashing a grin at her.

"That you are desperate to chase so hard after a lover of women such as myself. You know, _lesbian!"_ Willow said, whispering the last word in his ear and playfully biting his lobe.

Freya snickered at the look on her brother's face. Willow was obviously turning him on, and Freya knew that he would be unsatisfied yet again. She couldn't help but enjoy the dance between the two of them. Her baby brother wasn't used to working so hard to seduce a woman.

"Klaus is stubborn and not used to hearing the word no," Cami said knowingly.

"Maybe you should put him out of his misery since it's you he really wants anyway," Willow said smugly.

"What?" Cami asked in dismay.

"Surely, you know my brother fancies you?" Freya asked, looking at her in surprise.

Cami felt her face flush in embarrassment as Klaus gave her a look that she'd never seen before. However, she knew never to let a Mikaelson see a weakness, so she pushed back. "Surely, you know that Willow fancies _you_?" Cami asked, giving Freya a pointed look.

Klaus' mouth fell open as he looked at the beet-red Willow and then his sister. "What?" he asked, caught off guard.

Willow took a deep breath, determined to calm her racing heart. She glared at the smirking Cami, but she wasn't really mad. Here was her chance to find out how Freya felt. "Klaus, you know I'm gay. I'm sure that you'd be incredible in bed. In fact, Buffy told me that Original vampires have even more stamina than regular, so I know a night with you would be more than satisfying," she said, flashing him a smile.

"Well, of course!" he replied with an arrogant grin.

"And you don't need to bed me in order to have me help you when you need it," Willow said. She'd spent enough time with the hybrid to know he was very insecure and untrusting for such an old guy. "I'm your friend. If you need me or my magic, it's yours. Buffy is your friend, too. She's also involved very seriously with your brother. That makes you family."

Klaus was very moved by her words. He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. "You are extraordinary," he said sincerely. Like the slayer, this witch had a generous heart and warm nature. He thought sex might bind her more closely to him, but if she really meant her words, he would settle for her friendship. Real friendships were hard to come by in his world.

None of the four noticed the eyes outside the restaurant that was watching them very closely. It was noted who Klaus Mikaelson seemed to favor the most.

Oblivious, Willow smiled at Freya. "As for your sister, she's a hot witch, who's smart and funny. Why wouldn't I like her?" she said.

Klaus blinked, trying to recalibrate his world that had just been turned upside down. How had he not noticed this development? Freya looked surprised but not upset. Maybe the idea wasn't abhorrent to her either. "Well, we can agree that Mikaelsons are good at making enemies and attracting suitors!" he exclaimed. If she became his sister's lover, then she'd be bound to his family. That would suit him just fine.

The girls laughed, dispelling the tension at the table.

***** _Paris*****_

Buffy stood at the top of the Eiffel Tower, Elijah's arms wrapped around her. They were gazing down at the view. He had compelled them access to the restricted area. It was beautiful. They had arrived late last night and spent the night in a five-star hotel—Elijah was a bit of a snob when it came to his traveling standards. She didn't mind being pampered and figured there were worse flaws.

"This is so perfect!" she said happily. She raised her head up for a kiss, which Elijah was happy to supply.

"Did you enjoy dinner?" he asked. He had never had a lover that was so affectionate. It was strange discovering a side to himself that he hadn't realized was there. Giving and receiving constant affection was something he wasn't completely comfortable with. However, she was pulling it out of him more every day.

"What wasn't to like? Everything was perfect," she said.

Elijah loved showing her with things. It'd been so long since the world had seemed so fresh and new. Buffy made the gray in life wash away with all the color she brought. The blood on his hands seemed to burn off in her presence. She was so innately good, and she loved him. No longer would he live his life just in the service of Niklaus and whatever wild scheme he had. Now he'd live for Buffy Summers, the oldest living slayer, and the woman he was growing to love more every day.

Somehow, he knew that with her life for him and his family would be richer and so much better.

It was already was.

***** _Chapter End*****_


	2. Chapter 2

**Any readers who don't actually watch the Originals, Detective Kinney is played by Jason Dohring and to my surprise actually lived through the entire season!**

 **For those that read the BTVS comics: This story does NOT follow the ridiculous comics in which Whedon worked out his boy fantasies with. Don't get me started on them. My story is written for the TV audience and although we are still dealing with the supernatural and mystical, I am not grossly inflating the BTVS characters abilities like the comics. My rule is if I can't believe it, I cannot write it** _._ _ **Buffy and Willow are powerful enough, I think!**_

Chapter 2: The Sire Line

 _*****A Few Days Later*****_

Cami answered Vincent's call to join him at a crime scene. "What's going on?" she asked him when she arrived at the location he gave her. They were in a section of the French Quarter that she rarely ventured to, and cops were everywhere.

"I've been working as an expert in the occult for the department. I think you might be able to help with something. This is Detective Kinney, who I told you was investigating the murder," Vincent introduced.

Cami looked at the good-looking cop with interest. "Nice to meet you," she said, shaking his offered hand. "So why am I here?"

"I told the detective about your psychology background. This new murder is like the other, and we thought you might be able to give some insight into the killer," Vincent said.

"I've never done that sort of thing before," Cami said warily.

"It's a disturbing scene, but if you think you could give some insight into this psycho, I'd appreciate it," Detective Kinney said.

"Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of disturbing things the past few years, so I think I can handle it," Cami said.

"Come this way," Detective Kinney said. He led her to the mouth of the nearby alley.

She looked down at the dead body in dismay. The poor victim had his mouth sliced open like the Joker and propped up on strings like a puppet. "It doesn't look like the guy put up a struggle," she observed. Cami realized, but didn't say, that the person was probably compelled. Clearly, this was a vampire murder—not a human psychopath. "The murderer took his time. That much is clear. He enjoys the display. I'm sure he'll kill again."

"That was my instinctive thought, too," Detective Kinney said grimly.

"You need to be very careful with this one, detective," Cami advised.

"Thanks for your help," Detective Kinney said.

Vincent led Cami away. When they were out of earshot, Vincent stopped. "Vampire?" he asked.

She nodded. "It's obvious they were compelled," Cami said.

"We need to warn Marcel," Vincent said.

They got to the church, where Marcel hangs out. Cami flinched as she does everytime she sees the fight cage in her late uncle's church.

Rebekah, still in her witch body, was there watching Marcel fight someone.

"What's going on?" Cami asked her.

Rebekah smirked. "Marcel's been holding tryouts. Looking to recruit tougher vamps for his cause," she said.

"What cause is that?" Vincent asked.

"Why my insane brother, of course," Rebekah said in amusement.

"What?" Cami asked. "Klaus isn't insane."

"He's prone to actions that cannot be explained. Marcel feels that he is too vulnerable and wants to increase the numbers of vampires loyal to him and not the Mikaelsons," Rebekah explained.

"But you're a Mikaelson," Cami pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm not Niklaus. And Marcel loves me," Rebekah said with a smirk.

"Marcel, we need to talk to you!" Cami called out.

Marcel stopped and turned. He nodded at her and spoke to the group that was in or around the cage. When they left, he turned back toward them, stepping out of the cage. "What's up?" he asked.

"There's some new vampire in town," Cami said.

"We think," Vincent clarified.

Cami filled him in on what they knew.

"It is possible it's a human," Marcel said.

"Possible but unlikely. The body looked like the guy was compelled," Cami said.

"Leaving a body leads to headlines, which decreases tourism and, thereby, the food supply. All things that my guys know. The cops should question Klaus."

"Klaus didn't do this," Cami said confidently.

"No, my brother's been too distracted with the new witch. Besides, it's not his style," Rebekah said.

"I'll ask around. See if I can find out about any new players in town," Marcel said.

"Thanks," Vincent said.

"So, this cop. Can he be trusted?" Marcel asked.

"I think so," Vincent said. "He's a good man. All our human leaders have been killed. We need someone we can trust, so I'm feeling him out."

"If you care about him, you'll keep him away from Klaus," Marcel said.

"Speaking of Klaus, are you going to his art show tomorrow night?" Cami asked.

"I don't know," Marcel said.

"He'll be there," Rebekah answered for him, giving him a look.

Marcel stared at her a moment. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. I'll be there," he conceded.

***** _The Next Evening*****_

Klaus surveyed the people mingling at his art show. He didn't even have to compel them. Willow came up to him, putting her arm around his waist affectionately. "It's so amazing, Klaus!" she gushed. "Your work is beautiful!"

Klaus gave her a warm smile. "Thanks!" he said.

He saw a man staring intently at one of his paintings. "What do you think?" he asked him.

The man sniffed dismissively. "Some talent, but it's mostly derivative," the man said.

When Klaus clenched his fist in rage, Willow pulled him aside. "You can't kill everyone that doesn't like your work. Art is subjective," she said.

"This is why I rarely show my work to the public. I don't take criticism well," he admitted.

"Really? I'm so surprised," she said dryly. "But I can think of a more satisfying way to get back at the arrogant twit without bloodshed."

"What do you have in mind?" Klaus asked her, eying her with interest. She never failed to amuse the ancient vampire.

Willow looked at the man and waved her hand. Klaus' eyes widened in surprise when the critic turned into a rat and scurried off. Laughter burst out of him. "That was impressive!" he exclaimed in admiration.

"He'll turn back to himself in a few days," she said. "A friend turned herself into a rat in high school and didn't put a time limit on the spell. It took me years to figure out how to undo it. But now it's easy-peasy."

"Now that was something to behold," a man said.

Klaus looked up at the newcomer. "Lucien?" he said in obvious surprise.

The attractive, sandy haired newcomer smiled at Klaus. "In the flesh!" he said. He held out his hand to Klaus who took it and pulled him in for a hug and back slap.

"When did you get into town?" Klaus asked.

"A few days ago. I came on business and heard you were in town. Then my assistant told me about your show, and I decided that it'd be a perfect time to run into you," Lucien said. He looked at Willow. "Forgive my rudeness. Lucian Castle."

Willow shook his hand. "Willow Rosenberg," she said, sensing his nature right away.

"It's been a long time, Lucian," Klaus said.

"Too long," Lucian replied.

"Lucian is the very first vampire I created. He's almost as old as I," Klaus said to Willow.

"You would trust your secrets to a witch?" Lucian asked in surprise.

"Willow isn't like other witches, and I trust her completely," Klaus said.

Lucian gave Willow a look of interest but said nothing. "Does she turn all your enemies into rats for you?" he asked.

"That was the first time," Klaus said, smiling at Willow.

Willow waved her hand dismissively. "Not a big deal. It's harmless. The man will wake up in a few days with a strong fondness for cheese," she said.

"Is Aurora with you?" Klaus asked.

"We parted ways centuries ago," Lucien said, shaking his head.

Klaus nodded. "So why are you really here?" he asked.

Lucien glanced a moment at Willow, who quickly spoke, "I'll leave you two to catch up." She walked away before Klaus could protest.

"She got any real power or just parlor tricks?" Lucian asked, curious.

Klaus shrugged. "She's got a few tricks. She's not from New Orleans, so she's not loyal to the covens here," he said, trying to downplay her skill. No sense in letting Lucien know what weapon Willow really was.

"Well, we need all the allies we can get," Lucien said grimly. "There's a war coming."

Klaus looked at him with interest. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"The sire lines are at war," Lucien shared. "It's been made aware that the Mikaelsons are not as infallible or immortal as was once believed. Both Kol and Finn's line has been wiped out. You've come close a few times, have you not? All your sired children have felt it!"

Klaus grimaced as Lucien's point was hit home. "Things have been challenging lately, but I can assure you, my family is stronger than ever," he said.

"Really? I heard that your own aunt nearly ended you just a few months ago," Lucien said pointedly.

"As you can see, I am here, she is not," Klaus said coldly.

"Are you certain every splinter of the White Oak is gone? No weapon can kill you?" Lucien asked. Klaus was silent. He wasn't about to tell Lucien where his weapon was. Lucien continued, "I have someone I need you to meet. Come with me to my penthouse."

"Niklaus," Elijah called, having arrived with Buffy, who looked resplendent in a black dress.

Klaus grinned, happy to see his brother and the slayer. He moved from Lucien to greet them, embracing Elijah and Buffy.

Lucien noted that the supposed distance between the brothers was obviously exaggerated as the two brothers warmly greeted the other. The unknown woman seemed at ease in both their presence.

Elijah, of course, had noted Lucien's presence and faced him. "I see you have a visitor," Elijah murmured to Klaus.

"Yes, I was just speaking with him," Klaus said, turning back toward Lucien and gesturing him forward.

"Who's the new hottie?" Buffy asked curiously.

Lucien gave her a blinding smile. "Lucien Castle," he said, extending his hand to her.

"Buffy Summers," she said, shaking his hand. She dismissed him and looked at Klaus. "Your show is amazing, Klaus. I'm so proud!"

Klaus grinned at her. "You just missed Willow. She punished a critic in quite an amusing manner," he shared.

"Where is she?" Buffy said, not seeing her.

"She's around here somewhere. Probably with Freya," Klaus said, looking around.

"I'll go look for her," she said. Glancing at Lucien, she said, "Nice to meet you."

"You, too," Lucien said, smiling. He looked at Elijah. "Does she belong to you?"

"Buffy doesn't belong to anyone but herself," Elijah said. "But she and I are involved."

"She smelled human. Does she know what you are?" Lucien asked.

"She knows all my secrets," Elijah said easily.

Lucien looked surprised. "You would trust a human with your secrets?" he asked. When did this family become so trusting? It was against everything he knew about both brothers.

"Buffy is not like other humans," Klaus said with a grin.

"Why are you here?" Elijah asked bluntly.

"Business," Lucien said.

"He says that the sire lines are at war due to our close encounters as of late," Klaus shared.

"If you will come to my penthouse, I have someone you need to meet. There's a clear prophecy that has me gravely concerned," Lucien said.

Klaus looked at Elijah, who shrugged. "This is your show, after all," he said.

"Let me speak to Cami," Klaus said, stepping away.

Buffy came around the corner with Willow. Elijah smiled to see her animation as she shared information about her trip with Willow.

Lucien made note of Elijah's clear fascination with his lover. Interesting.

"I am going to go with Klaus to catch up with our old friend here. Will you be okay without me?" Elijah asked Buffy.

Buffy laughed. "I'm sure I'll be fine without you. I'll hang out here a bit before going home. See you there later?" she asked. He nodded and bent down to give her a kiss.

Klaus joined the two men and went to Lucien's very upscale penthouse.

"It seems you're doing quite well for yourself," Klaus said, looking at the spacious apartment.

"I've got my hand in a number of things. What's the point in living forever if you can't have everything you want?" Lucien said with a knowing smirk.

"Indeed," Elijah said.

A young woman greeted Lucien when they arrived.

"This is my witch, Alexis," Lucien said to them. "She's the reason you're here. She's a cipher, and she has a prophecy concerning your sire lines. It's not good."

"A cipher?" Elijah asked, looking at her curiously.

"If you feed on her, she'll show you her vision," Lucien said.

When Klaus gave Elijah a questioning look, he gestured, "By all means, do what you will. I'm sure Willow won't mock you too much."

Klaus grimaced and hesitated.

"I'm deadly serious, Klaus. There is a dire threat to all of us," Lucian said sincerely. "Please trust me on this. In fact, I'm the only one of yours that you can trust. If you die, so do I and all my line."

Klaus knew that he had a point, so he bit into the neck the witch offered him. When he did, he went into her mind. She whispered into his head:

 _Drink deep but beware,_

 _What you broke is past repair_

 _All your oaths you betray_

 _Your sacred vows you sever_

 _And now you see that nothing lasts for always and forever_

 _Three yet remain, two already crossed_

 _Yet in one year's time you'll all be lost_

 _As your family is undone_

 _You will cede to the beast that is to come._

Her words were accompanied by images of each of his siblings suffering and crying out in pain. Jerking away from her, he pushed her far from him.

"What is it, Niklaus? What did you see?" Elijah asked him.

"Our doom," Klaus said. "Or is it?" He glared at Lucien. "What insanity do you bring to me?"

"I am only trying to help!" Lucien said quickly.

"What have I to fear? I am the thing that lesser men fear!" he exclaimed angrily.

"That is why I am here. To remind you of the beast that you are. I fear that you have grown soft. Too many people who cross you yet live," Lucien said. "That is not the Klaus I know."

"I am as strong as I have ever been!" Klaus said hotly.

"He is now a father and sees no need to slaughter indiscriminately," Elijah defended.

"Alexis predicts that the bond between you and your siblings will be broken," Lucien warned.

"I have broken things in my family many times. They always forgive me," Klaus said. "Our vows are sacred."

"So you've said," Lucien said grimly. "Always and forever? Too bad it doesn't work so well for your friends."

Klaus felt a flash of guilt as he looked at Lucien. He had used him most grievously. "We did what we did to you so that we all could survive. It was the only way to escape our father," Klaus said.

Lucian gave him a cold look but quickly dispelled his anger. "The sire lines are at war. Tristan I'm sure will be here soon—along with the Strix," Lucian warned.

"Let them come. Tristan wants to stir up trouble, I'll deal with him," Elijah said sternly.

"Do not think we have allies only within our lines," Klaus warned. "We have resources that will hold up against anyone who comes against us. I assure you that your line is safe."

"I hope so," Lucien said grimly.

"I must return to my lady," Elijah said.

"As do I," Klaus said. "We should meet up tomorrow for drinks. Catch up."

"I look forward to it," Lucian said.

A short time later, Klaus and Elijah were back home, sharing the bad news Lucian brought with the women in their lives. Klaus recited the poem.

"So is this like a real prophecy?" Willow asked with interest. "I'd like to meet this Alexis."

"It's best if Lucien does not know how powerful you are. I am positive he is up to something," Klaus said.

"Isn't he always?" Rebekah said, rolling her eyes. "What Aurora ever saw in him is beyond me!"

"Prophecies have a way of working out sometimes. Other times, they can be easily misconstrued or have loopholes," Buffy said knowingly. "When I was sixteen, it was prophesied that I was to die at the hand of a master vampire."

"It was wrong?" Freya asked.

"No, the vampire killed me. I drowned," Buffy said grimly. "But Xander came along and revived me with CPR. It's how the slayer line was broken into two, and it's the first time I defied a prophecy."

"But not the last!" Willow said with a grin.

"Are you worried?" Buffy asked Elijah.

"Not really. But Lucien's appearance is disconcerting," he admitted.

"Why is that? Don't you guys go way back?" Willow asked.

"We each turned a person for the first time in 1000 A. D. in southern France," Elijah said. "Lucien was the servant of a count. He advised us on how to act like the noble people we weren't by birth. With his help, we managed to gain an invitation to a gala the count was throwing. It gave us a taste for the world of nobility that we found we loved."

"We'd been on the run from Father for years already, and I was bloody sick of it!" Rebekah added. "The Count's sister Aurora was gorgeous and befriended me and fell for Niklaus. Nik turned Lucien. I turned Aurora, and the Count's son Tristan was turned by Elijah."

"Of course, we didn't know that Aurora was more than slightly insane. Tristan hid that fact quiet well," Elijah said.

"Oh, so you created your own Drusilla," Buffy said in understanding.

As Elijah was now familiar with all Buffy's stories, he answered, "Not quite. Aurora wasn't driven insane the way Angelus did to the innocent. She was just obsessive as a human. Our vampire nature makes traits amplified as a vampire."

"When Father came for us, we compelled them to believe they were us and sent them running in the opposite direction," Rebekah said.

Freya looked surprised. "You convinced them that they were you?" she asked.

They nodded. "Yes. We shared our memories with each of them, and they became us," Klaus explained. "It was quite effective."

"How long?" Buffy asked.

"A long time. Several decades at least," Elijah said.

"I'd be royally pissed," Willow said.

"I'm sure they were," Elijah said.

"I'd want revenge," Buffy said.

"Whatever they have planned, we'll be ready for them," Elijah said.

"If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get," Klaus warned.

***** _To Be Continued*****_


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is rated M for mature due to a short scene at the beginning. It's not overly graphic but more so than what I normally write for this fandom.**

Chapter 3: Sending a Message

***** _The Next Day*****_

At Elijah's insistence, Buffy had moved her belongings into Elijah's room. It warmed her heart to know that Elijah wanted her so close, so she had no objections. Waking up into his arms was her new favorite thing.

Elijah felt her stir but kept his eyes close, savoring the feel of her. The woman was a picture of poetry in motion most of the time, but he relished the moments of stillness like this. Then she began kissing his chest. When her lips trailed downward, his eyes shot open, and he pulled the covers away to look at her as her lips closed around him, a mischievous look in her eyes. Elijah kept his eyes locked with hers as she pleasured him so skillfully. Before he could explode into her mouth, she climbed onto him, sliding him inside of her.

Sometime later, they got dressed, both feeling good. Buffy didn't know if she'd ever get used to her new life. Every moment with Elijah was like a dream come true. He was the perfect gentleman, the most exquisite lover, always thoughtful and attentive. In every way, he was different from her previous lovers.

"If you make me any happier, I may lose my edge!" she complained as they went downstairs.

"That could never happen. Your nature is as instinctive as mine," Elijah said fondly. He'd seen her in action a few times in their travels. She was a true goddess of war. The time he'd watch her behead some demon in Italy with her scythe and then grin up at him in satisfaction was probably when he fell completely in love with her. The blood on his own hands didn't stand out next to her own. Of course, he knew that he had killed many innocence and her none. However, it didn't matter. She was a creature of light, who was very much at home in his darkness. Loving two vampires with real demons in them probably had something to do with it. When he was with her, he felt clean again. If a woman such as she could love him, then he was not beyond redemption. Maybe he was the noble man he sought so hard to be. He was to her anyway, and that was all that mattered.

They found Klaus at the table with Freya and Willow, feeding Hope. At Hayley's insistence, they were letting her feed herself more. The results were a very messy but fun morning ritual.

"Hope is here?" Elijah asked in surprise. "I thought she was with Hayley?"

"She had some early errands to run and brought her over. She said she knew that you'd want to see her since you were gone so long," Klaus said with a grin.

"That was nice of her," Buffy said, grinning down at Hope, who looked adorable with oatmeal everywhere. "I need a picture of that!"

"She's such a doll! I think I want one, Buffy," Willow said with a pout.

"Well, we can compel a human to knock you up," Klaus said, flashing his dimple.

"I don't need to compel a man!" Willow said, offended.

"You don't need to involve a man at all," Buffy pointed out. "You can go to one of those sperm banks."

"What?" Freya asked, a look of confusion on her face.

Her siblings grinned at her innocence. "It's a place where men sell their sperm and woman can pick through their profiles and find a baby-daddy!" Buffy explained.

"Really?" Freya asked, fascinated.

"I don't think I'd want a stranger as my baby-daddy," Willow said.

"Well, you could always see if Xander would donate his fishies, but I don't think Dawn would be okay with that," Buffy said, snickering at the thought of Dawn's face if she was asked.

"My sperm have been known to reproduce," Klaus said suggestively. "But we'd have to work at it the old-fashioned way until we got it right!"

Willow laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure," she said.

"You can always adopt," Buffy suggested.

"I did that with Marcellus," Klaus said sourly. "If they're not of your blood, they'll turn on you."

"Not if you're not a total ass," Buffy said sweetly.

"I'd like it to be of my blood, so she can inherit some of my skills," Willow said.

"Do you have any idea if Hope will live a normal human lifespan?" Buffy wondered, looking at the child who was throwing handfuls of oatmeal at Klaus, who easily dodged her throws, making her laugh.

"We know not," Klaus said. "It's assumed that she will live a bit longer than a normal human life."

Rebekah came downstairs. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully.

"Good morning, sister," Elijah said.

"Morning," the rest of them echoed.

Rebekah sat down next to Elijah, across from Buffy. "So, what's our plan for dealing with Lucien?" she asked, not wasting time.

"He's a wily bastard, but he'll reveal his intentions soon enough," Klaus said knowingly.

"Where Lucian is, Aurora will follow. Then her asshole of a brother," Rebekah said.

"And you're in that frail, human body," Klaus said in disapproval.

"Which we can protect," Willow said pointedly.

"What of Kol? Should we try to restore him before becoming distracted with things?" Freya wondered.

"Davina has the final ingredient, so we can begin," Willow said.

"I still say trusting that little witch is not a good idea," Klaus warned.

"That witch loves Kol. She is going against the ancestors working with us," Rebekah reminded him.

"Well, I hope it doesn't backfire," Klaus predicted.

Buffy's phone beeped, so she pulled it out. "I'm going to meet Cami for lunch," she said. "I didn't get a chance to talk much with her last night. Willow took up all my time!"

Willow grinned. "Best friend privilege," she said.

"So, you haven't told us anything about your trip with Buffy," Freya said to Elijah.

"It was wonderful," he said, gazing at Buffy with a warm smile.

Rebekah's eyes widened as she saw the look Elijah gave her. "You're in love with her!" Rebekah gasped.

Buffy blushed and Freya frowned in disapproval. "Sister, that is really personal," she said.

"A love connection has most definitely occurred," Willow said knowingly.

"Yes, we know. Lots of sex. What else happened?" Klaus asked, dismissing their sentiment.

"We visited her family in New York. Then a few slayer houses before going to England," Elijah said.

"Your family is well?" Freya asked Buffy.

"They're great!" Buffy said happily. "My sister Dawn is pregnant with her second kid. She married Willow and I's best guy friend, Xander. They're in charge of the New York City slayer house. When they got married, I gifted it to them."

"Because New York City was safer than the hellmouth Xander was in charge of in Ohio," Willow added.

"There's a hellmouth in Ohio?" Rebekah asked in surprise.

"Yep. We closed Sunnydale's, and then Ohio's began acting up. It's a dangerous place," Buffy said. "I was glad to get them both away from it."

"How many slayer houses are there exactly?" Klaus asked Buffy.

Buffy shrugged. "You'd have to ask Giles for exact numbers," she said. "But I think there's about fifty at this point. We try to spread them over the globe to wherever there's a large demonic activity or potential hellmouths. Normally, big cities like New York have demons and vampires taking advantage of the high population numbers."

"We met quite a number of slayers," Elijah added. "They are an extraordinary group of women. All incredible fighters. All passionate about killing dark creatures. It was enlightening."

"Any want to move to New Orleans?" Klaus asked.

"You know you can't have my slayers in this city. If they didn't start killing your friends, they'd most definitely piss off the witches," Buffy said.

Klaus looked disappointed. "Well, I hope you told them to stop by for a visit any time!" he told them.

Elijah gave his brother an indulgent smile. "There's one or two that might pop in," he said.

"Most likely, Faith. She is at loose ends since she turned Ohio over to Kennedy. We've decided no one should spend more than two years in an active hellmouth. Her time is up there," Buffy said.

Willow smirked at Klaus. "Faith would tie you up in so many knots. I'd pay money to see that!" she teased.

"Literal knots, too!" Buffy added laughing.

"Faith is Buffy's number two," Elijah explained. "The dark slayer."

"Sounds like Klaus' type of girl," Rebekah said with a snort.

"Why is she dark?" Freya asked.

"Well, back when we were still in high school, she went a bit off the rails. Joined the evil mayor who tried to bring back dark times. She poisoned my boyfriend, and I put her in a coma for a while. But we made up, and she's a white hat now," Buffy explained.

"She's an acquired taste," Willow said with a grimace. "Not my favorite."

"Sounds like an intriguing person," Klaus said. The woman sounded like the perfect ally.

"She is that," Elijah said, thinking of his first meeting of her.

"She only propositioned Elijah once!" Buffy said smugly.

"You beat her good?" Willow asked knowingly.

Buffy nodded. "Yep!" she replied.

"She broke her nose," Elijah said in disapproval.

"You have to be tough with Faith. It's the only way she learns!" Buffy said defensively.

"You broke your friend's nose for hitting on Elijah?" Rebekah asked in awe.

"That's nothing," Willow said with a snort. "Buffy and Faith have gotten in lots of fights over the years."

"And she is your friend?" Freya asked, struggling to understand.

"Families fight," Klaus said in understanding. He gave Buffy a look of approval.

"Yes, they do," Elijah said, smiling at his brother. "Klaus and I have had our fair share of fights."

"Faith is like my sister. Besides Willow and Xander, I trust her more than any other of my friends," Buffy said. "She loves fighting, so by hitting her for flirting with Elijah, she knew that he was special."

"What a strange girl!" Freya commented.

"You're not wrong," Willow said, smiling at the witch.

"I also went on a few hunts with Buffy and the girls," Elijah said.

"But no one appreciated his fighting skills," Buffy said, a grin on her face.

The siblings all look surprised by that. "Why is that?" Klaus said curiously.

"It seems that slayers relish in the fight a bit too much and did not appreciate my method of ending the threat quickly," Elijah stated.

"Yeah, ripping out hearts is both gross and cheating!" Buffy shared.

Klaus laughed.

"Gross? Is that not a tad hypocritical? You and your girls chop things up with your axes and swords!" Elijah protested.

Rebekah was fascinated by their exchange. It was clear to her that her brother's bond with the slayer was stronger than she had ever witnessed with another.

Willow grinned. "Slayers love fighting. Don't you get that by now? Buffy is a slayer," she pointed out.

"I do get it now," Elijah said, giving Buffy a fond look.

Klaus couldn't help thinking about how much he would enjoy a slayer of his very own.

***** _A Few Hours Later*****_

Buffy excitedly shared stories of her travels with Cami. Finally, she paused for breath. "Oh God! I've been rattling on for, like, a half hour! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.

Cami smiled. "It's fine. I liked hearing about it," she assured her. "It's nice to hear that Elijah is finally allowing himself to be happy."

"I'm so crazy about him, Cami," Buffy confessed.

"Really? I couldn't tell!" she teased. "You know, I think you are really good for Elijah."

"Why do you say that?" Buffy asked.

"Well, you two have things in common, but you are also very different from him. Elijah carries around a lot of guilt. You help him see that he deserves to be happy," Cami said.

"You think he carries a lot of guilt? I've dated a brooding vampire before. Elijah isn't like that," Buffy pointed out.

"No, brooding would be too self-serving. Elijah's nobility is very deeply engrained. It wouldn't allow him to wallow," Cami said. "But he's told me a lot. Trust me. It's there."

"You've counselled him? He never told me that!" Buffy said, surprised.

"Klaus is the one who primarily speaks to me, but, yes, Elijah has confided in me a few times—usually concerning his brother," Cami said.

"Since you know him so well, can I ask you something?" Buffy inquired.

"Of course," Cami said.

"Do you think I'm the right girl for him? That we'll last?" Buffy asked. "I've loved a few men in my life, but no man has ever affected me this way. It's like he was made just for me. I don't know what I would do if it fell apart. When you're faced with eternity, a broken heart is a painful thing to contemplate."

"Are you referring to Hayley? Is that why you're worried?" Cami wondered.

Buffy nodded. "I know he loved Hayley," she pointed out.

"Maybe," Cami said. "But not enough to fight for her. He let Jackson swoop in and convince her he was the only way to save their packs."

"Wasn't it?" Buffy asked.

Cami shrugged. "Probably. But they didn't seem to question it or search long for another solution," she said. "I love Hayley. She's my friend. But I think you are a much better fit for Elijah."

"Really?" Buffy said.

"Yes. Hayley and Elijah both have too much dysfunctionality in their childhood. Two broken people can't make a whole," she said. "Hayley was very lost until she came here. She was murdered on a bloody alter after giving birth. Then she had to give up her baby afterward for months and pretend she was dead."

"I've had tragedy. I died twice. The second time, I was ripped out of heaven. My mom died," Buffy said.

"But you had a happy, normal childhood until you were called at fifteen," Cami reminded her. "You'd be surprised what a difference that makes. You are a breath of fresh air to the entire Mikaelson family. Hayley would never and could never be that."

Buffy was silent and let that settle. Then she said, "Okay, that's enough about me. What's going on with you?"

"I think the new serial killer in town is a vampire," Cami revealed. "And I think Klaus' buddy Lucian is behind the murders."

"Seriously?" Buffy asked.

"I don't think it's coincidence that he comes to town and we have these vampire murders," Cami said.

"That could be coincidence," Buffy pointed out.

"His company Kingmaker has branches all over the globe. Weird murders seem to be in every city at various times the past few years," Cami shared.

"How do you know this?" Buffy asked her.

"Detective Kinney and I have been researching him," Cami shared.

"Well, maybe we should go pay this Lucien a visit," Buffy said. "He gave Klaus a dire prophecy yesterday. It's got him pretty freaked."

"I know where he's staying," Cami said. "I can call Detective Kinney to go with us."

"We don't want Lucien to target the poor guy. He can be killed easily," Buffy said. "You are a friend of the Mikaelsons, so you have built in protection."

"Okay, then let's go," Cami said, getting up from the table.

It didn't take them long to arrive at Lucien's penthouse. They took the elevator to his door.

Lucien answered the ringing of the doorbell. He smiled at the beautiful arrivals. "Wow, this is a nice surprise," he said. "What brings two of the Mikaelson women to my door?"

"Can we come in?" Buffy asked.

"Of course," he said, stepping back. "Does Elijah know you're here?"

"No. He's my man, not my keeper," Buffy replied coolly. "Contrary to what you may think, I'm not some pretty piece of tail Elijah's distracting himself with. I can take care of myself."

"Really?" Lucien said, intrigued. "Well, how can I be of assistance?"

Cami and Buffy exchanged a look. They had agreed to let her take the lead since she was better equipped to handle a pissed off ancient vampire.

"You can tell us if you're the vamp that's killing humans in the Quarter?" Buffy said bluntly.

Lucien grinned. "If I was, why would I admit it to you?" he asked.

Buffy didn't hesitate. She pulled back and hit him, knocking him across the room. Then she landed on top of him before he could recover. Her hand was around his throat, and she began to squeeze. "Make no mistake, Lucien Castle, I don't care who you are or how strong or how much money you have. If I find proof that you are killing humans in my city, I will bring your existence to an end."

Lucien put his hands on hers, trying to remove them. When he couldn't easily do so, he grew alarmed. What the hell was she?

Buffy got off him. She finally noticed the waif-like woman in the corner of the room. "Are you the witch trying to rattle the Mikaelsons with your doomsday prophecy?" she asked.

Lucien got to his feet. "What are you? You smell human," he said, frowning.

"I am human. But that's not all I am," she said, a small smile around her lips. Then she looked at the woman. "What's your name?"

"Alexis," the woman replied.

"Well, Alexis, I'm Buffy," she said. She looked at Lucien. "Buffy the vampire slayer. The original. I kill demons and soulless vampires for a living. It's a sacred duty. Whatever little plan you got going on ends now. I have more power and more weapons at my disposal than you and your sire lines. Whatever war you think is coming, end it now. Because if you don't, I will." She moved closer to him. "And I don't think you'll like how I end it."

"You can't blame us for prophecy," Alexis defended.

"I'm not afraid of any prophecy. I've defied more than one myself," she said honestly. "Prophecies always have loopholes and are open to interpretation."

"You can't stop a war between the sire lines," Lucien announced.

"Watch me," Buffy said flatly. Then she went to the door where Cami was standing and waiting. Cami opened the door, and they walked out.

When they made it into the elevator, Cami looked at Buffy and grinned. After the doors closed, she burst out laughing. "Damn, Buffy! I think Lucien about shit his pants!" she exclaimed.

Buffy grinned. "That's what I call sending a message," she said.

"I think he got it," Cami said in satisfaction.

Inside his penthouse, Lucien was thinking. Elijah's lover was a new player.

He grinned. This was going to be so much fun.

****** _End of Chapter*****_

 _Reviews are so lovely. Yes, Buffy is over the top, but at this point in her life, I see her that way. The last few seasons we got glimpses of her with this type of confidence more than once._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Posturing and Threats

 _*****The Next Day*****_

Buffy was in the family room (what she called the parlor), sitting on Elijah's lap (her favorite place to sit), listening to Freya and Willow tell her how they were planning to raise Kol from the dead.

Klaus came into the room. "How could you be so foolish?" he said to Buffy, clearly annoyed.

"I don't know. How can I be?" Buffy asked with a smug grin. She knew why he was upset. Cami suggested that she tell the brothers what she'd done, but this was so much more fun.

"Don't give me that cheeky grin!" Klaus scolded.

"Niklaus, I suggest you watch your manners and tell us what's got you so upset," Elijah chided.

Buffy kissed his cheek, loving how protective he was even if it was unnecessary. She'd been handling ego-bound vamps before she could drive. Klaus was predictable once you got to know him.

"Your girl took Camille, my frail and very human counselor, to Lucien's apartment and accused him of being a serial killer. Then she attacked him and told him she was a vampire slayer!" Klaus exclaimed, giving her an accusing look.

Willow grinned in approval. "Nice!" she said.

Klaus glared at the witch. "It is _not_ nice! Lucien did not need to know how formidable she was! You've let him know about one of our weapons! He will now be on guard!" Klaus complained.

Buffy jumped up and stood in front of Klaus. "First of all, I am _not_ your weapon. I am a vampire slayer. Second of all, I kill evil things. If Lucien is an evil thing, I'll kill him. Sacred duty and all. But since I am involved with your brother, that makes you family. However, I won't be used in your quest for power," Buffy said coldly.

"I didn't seek out Lucien. He came here with this warning," Klaus pointed out.

"If Lucien is going around killing people in this city like Cami suspects, I will take care of him. I don't care what your relationship with him is," Buffy said in warning.

Klaus tried to keep his temper. He hated anyone making threats to him even if they were someone he admired and cared about. However, he knew that he didn't want to piss off the slayer. She would kill Lucien before he found out exactly what the vampire was up to. He would then find himself against Elijah and Willow as they would inevitably align with Buffy.

"Lucien may be killing people—I don't really care. What I care about is what he's up to. He's always planning something. I promise you—this is just the beginning," Klaus warned.

"Maybe so," Buffy said with a shrug. "But he's now on notice. You are not without allies—allies that could care less about him."

"You are a very stubborn, maddening woman!" Klaus announced.

"Calm down, Niklaus. Buffy has a point. It hurts nothing to let Lucien know that you have powerful friends he knows nothing about," Elijah said.

"But he can find out, I'm sure," Willow pointed out. "Buffy's a legend in supernatural circles."

"Let him find out," Elijah said. "Maybe he and the sire lines will relax when they realize that we couldn't be safer."

"I hope you're right," Klaus said, not convinced but unable to argue further.

Buffy's phone dinged, and she got Cami's text. Elijah saw her grimace.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Ah, well, Cami says that she is watching Detective Kinney bring Lucien in for questioning," Buffy shared.

"Damn it!" Klaus fumed. "You know that she is now marked and so is this detective."

"He's a friend of Vincent's," Buffy said. "He's a good guy, but he's not read into the supernatural."

"Maybe you should compel him to not look at Lucien. Safer that way," Willow advised.

"I will put down Lucien and end any threat to Camille," Klaus said, heading out.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Willow asked.

"If you like," Klaus said with a shrug. "No showing off your powers, though. Let's keep some surprises from my enemies."

"I'll be good," Willow promised, eager to be a part of the action.

**** _* A Short Time Later*****_

Marcel had assembled all his guys. "As long as the serial killer's on the loose, the cops are gonna be all over the place. So no snacking on tourist and don't even think about going near the locals," Marcel warned.

"What are we supposed to eat? Puppies and bunnies?" a guy grumbled.

Marcel turned to Josh. "Josh, see if you can contact our blood bank contacts. Work it out with everyone," he said.

"Sure thing," Josh said.

"Keep all your guys in line," Marcel told them. "The Mikaelsons are on this. All we gotta do is ride this out, and we'll be back in business in no time."

"Somehow, I seriously doubt that," a voice said. Marcel looked and saw a very attractive dark-skinned woman make her way through the guys. "Things will get worse before they get better, but I can help with that."

"I don't know who you are, but you have definitely walked into the wrong place," Marcel said to her.

"I'm Aya," she said.

Marcel smiled. "Marcel Gerard."

"Now are you going to be rude or offer me a drink?" Aya asked.

"I don't have time for this. Get rid of her guys," Marcel ordered.

"I heard you were more hospitable than this. That's too bad," she said.

A fight broke out. In no time, she'd put down all his guys. However, she didn't rip out any hearts, so Marcel wasn't too upset, mostly intrigued.

"I'm not leaving until I deliver the offer that I've been instructed to bring to you," she said.

Marcel stepped up, taking up the challenge. He attacked; she easily reflected. They fought for a few minutes. Aya smiled. It took a bit of exertion on her part before she managed to contain him.

"I must say that I'm impressed. I'm three times your age, and yet you still held your own," Aya said, giving him an admiring look.

"That's me. I never know when to quit," Marcel said with a boast.

"I suspect we could go at this for some time, but as you probably want to keep your reputation in tact with this motley crew, how about we go elsewhere so that I can give you my message?" Aya suggested.

Marcel took her into his private room in the back. A short time later, Elijah came in.

"What happened here?" Elijah asked Josh as he saw all the bodies. Some were beginning to stir.

"Some ancient vamp named Aya said she wanted to talk to Marcel. When he wasn't down with that, she slapped us all around. He went in the back to talk to her," Josh explained.

Elijah stood outside the room and heard Aya's attempt to bring Marcel to her side.

"Marcel Gerard, you were turned by an Original, yet you made yourself into your own image. You built a vampire community on ash, and the city has thrived under your rule," she said. "Let us help you return New Orleans to what it should be with you as its king."

"That's a great sales pitch," Marcel said, impressed. "Just one thing. Who is us?"

"The oldest society of vampires the world has ever known," she replied. "We call ourselves the Strix."

Elijah stepped in the room and spoke. "Quiet the prestigious organization. Responsible for countless wars, numerous plagues and assassinations," he said with disdain.

"You have to break the rules if you want to build a new world," Aya said. She smiled at Elijah. "Hello, Elijah. It's been a while."

"You two know each other?" Marcel asked.

"I sired her," Elijah explained. He knew that her presence here wasn't a good sign. He moved quickly to grab a hold of her, deciding on whether or not he should kill her.

"You dare attack me after what you did?" she asked angrily.

"What are you doing here?" Elijah asked her coldly. "I know you're not alone." His arm went around her neck, holding her in place.

Suddenly, several vampires Marcel didn't know came out of the woodworks. One stocky built man with sandy blonde hair, smiled and stepped forward.

"Elijah, it's been a long time," he said.

Elijah gave him a cold glance. "Tristan," he acknowledged. He increased the pressure around Aya's neck, causing her to gag.

Marcel looked at Elijah. There was a whole group of vamps to take out. "I go left, you go right?" he suggested.

Tristan grinned. "It's been ages since I've enjoyed a good scrap, but that's not why I'm here," he said. He looked at his men. "Mr. Mikaelson and I need the room. Please leave us." They all dispersed.

"Elijah, the entire sire line, your life, is in danger," Tristan warned. "You need to hear what I have to say."

Elijah released Aya and straightened the sleeves of his jacket. "You waltz into my city with your group of sycophants flaunting news of a threat, all the while your lapdog Aya is conspiring with Marcellus," he said coldly.

"Conspiring? How grandiose," Aya said with a smirk.

"Who has the flair for the dramatic now?" Tristan asked. "Our business with Marcel has nothing to do with the larger issue at hand. He is just a possible recruit."

"The larger issue?" Elijah prodded.

"You've no doubt heard of the war between the sire lines?" Tristan inquired. "Well, as it happens, your line, my Strix, have wreaked all kinds of havoc on Lucien's line and his interest. He now seeks to put us down and destroy you and your line."

"I am not worried about Lucien," Elijah said unconcerned.

"Maybe he won't seek to end your threat by attacking you directly," Tristan said. "Instead, he'll use you someone else. Someone like Niklaus."

"You think Niklaus would choose Lucien over his own family?" Elijah asked in amusement. How little they understood about his family.

"Well, from what I hear, he tortured Marcel, killed your paramour, cursed the mother of his child all as a means to defeat his enemy," Tristan said.

"That's true," Marcel said.

"How long before Lucien is in his ear, convincing him to get rid of you?" Tristan pointed out.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Lucien," Elijah said. "As we speak, Klaus is on his way to get rid of him."

"You have to stop him," Tristan warned.

"And why would I do that?"

"My seer believes that Lucien has a weapon that is capable of destroying you," Tristan shared.

"Really?" Elijah asked.

"Since I don't have it and my sister doesn't have it, it's logical to conclude that Lucien has it," Tristan said.

"Unless he's bluffing," Marcel suggested.

"If your brother kills him too soon, we'll never know," Tristan said.

***** _Police Station*****_

Klaus made his way into the police station, compelling any who would stop him. Willow followed behind him.

Klaus saw red when he spotted Cami behind the glass talking with Lucien with only the human cop to protect her. Did the blasted woman not see how much danger she was in? However, he knew that he could not show Lucien what she meant to him.

"Ah, I see you've made new friends already," Klaus said, coming into the room.

"Hey, you can't come in here!" Detective Kinney exclaimed.

"Oh, but I can," Klaus said. He moved fast, compelling the clever detective. " _Forget your inquiry into Lucien Castle. You are convinced that the killer is a drifter and has already left town. When there's no more murders, this will be confirmed. Leave us_." Then he looked at Cami. "You, too."

Cami opened her mouth to protest. When she saw Willow give a slight shake of her head, she didn't argue and turned to go.

After the detective and Cami left, Klaus looked at Lucien. "As soon as I kill you, there will be no more murders," he said.

"How quickly you suspect me!" Lucien said, giving him a hurt look. He took note of the redhead with Klaus but said nothing to her. Time for her later.

"I don't care what game you play or why. I'm just not as patient as my slayer friend. I'd soon as kill you as wait for proof of your nefarious deeds," Klaus said.

"I must say, Niklaus, I am impressed. And surprised. How did you get a vampire slayer to side with your family?" Lucien asked. "I have heard some incredible tales of her. Surely, they aren't all true?"

Klaus shrugged. "I know not what all is true or not concerning her. I just know that Elijah fancies her," he said, downplaying her importance. "She does what she will. No one, not even I, can control or compel her. Her presence is a game changer."

"Maybe," Lucien acknowledged. "Yet it doesn't change the fact that the sire lines are at war, and that someone here is setting me up because they know I would defend you with my life. To kill you is to kill me."

"What you proposing then? That Tristan is behind those murders?" Klaus asked.

"Of course. Think about it. How easy it is to frame me and draw your ire," Lucien said. "We have always been stronger together."

Klaus thought about it and glanced at Willow. She shrugged. "I don't believe him, but I haven't met this Tristan," she said.

"Consider yourself lucky," Klaus said. "He's an insufferable, arrogant twit."

His phone rang. "It is Elijah," he said as he answered.

"Hold off on killing Lucien," Elijah said. "He may be of use yet."

**** _*The Next Morning*****_

Willow was accompanying Hayley and Jackson to the farmer's market. She promised Freya she would pick up some herbs she needed. They were pushing Hope in a stroller. Buffy was sleeping in as she spent the night strategizing with Klaus and Elijah on how to defeat the sire lines. Rebekah warned that Aurora would be in town soon. Then things would really go to seed. Willow was enjoying the political intrigue that these magically created vamps brought to the table. It was so different than what the Scoobies had always fought against. With them, things were always cut and dry. Even scrambling for position in the slayer line didn't involve such intrigue. Normally, slayers just went with the direct assault and challenge of their competition. The stronger slayer moved up a spot.

The Mikaelsons, though, were always plotting and conspiring. It was so entertaining, and just what she needed to get her out of the dark place she'd been in since breaking up with Kennedy.

She was humming and looking at herbs when suddenly arms came around her holding her. Before she could utter a word of power, a cloth was put over her face. There was an icky smell—then nothing.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _I know there are still several out there reading this. I hope you care enough to give me a review. How do you think Willow and Buffy would handle the sire lines? Disclaimer: Some dialogue was taken directly from the episode and was not from my brain._


	5. Chapter 5

**Some dialogue comes directly from the show.**

Chapter 5: A Miscalculation

**** _*A Short Time Later*****_

Lucien looked at his tied captor in amusement. The redhead had been by Klaus's side too many times to not mean something to him. At first, he was going to nab the counselor bartender, but the redhead had accompanied Klaus to the police station. If she was privy to Klaus's many secrets, then she meant something to him. The woman began to stir.

Willow's head was pounding, and her mouth felt like it was full of cotton. She suspected that she had been drugged. When she opened her eyes and saw a smiling Lucien, she knew that she had. Deciding to see what game he was playing, she didn't get loose. It was time to play the helpless human—a role she'd not played since high school.

"Where am I?" she asked, blinking and looking around. She focused on Lucien. "Hey, I know you! You're that serial killer Klaus knows! Don't kill me!" She tried her best to convey fear and helplessness.

"Relax. Your future has yet to be determined. No reason to get so upset," Lucien said with a cheerful grin. "I don't know how much power you have, but you can't do magic here. I have a deal with the Ancestors."

Willow took a deep breath, determined to contain her anger. The arrogant twit was going to suffer before she killed him. "Klaus will kill you for this!" she warned. What did he mean that he had a deal with the ancestors? He must assume she's a New Orleans witch. That would work to her advantage.

"Oh, he might threaten. He might maim, but I think I can stay his hand," Lucien said confidently. "I'll let him miss you, and then I'll give him a call."

Willow kept the fearful look on her face. Lucien would be in for a real surprise when showed him how little the Ancestors could hold her back.

***** _The Mikaelsons*****_

"Any sign of Aurora?" Rebekah asked as she came down to breakfast.

"Not yet," Klaus said. "It's only a matter of time. She never strays from her brother for long. Something you two have in common."

Rebekah glared at his smirk. "Yes, we both have insufferable controlling asses of a brother," she said.

Buffy giggled. "At least you have brothers. I always wished I had one," she said.

"Well, you have Xander," he reminded her.

"That's true, but he's not a big brother. We're the same age. And I didn't meet him until I was sixteen," she said.

"If you and Elijah get married, you'll have Klaus," Rebekah said happily.

"Marriage? Who's talking marriage? He just met my family! We haven't even had a six-month anniversary!" Buffy said, a clear note of panic in her voice.

Elijah smiled. "Relax, Buffy. You and I don't have to get married in order for you to claim Klaus. I'll gladly give him to you," he told her.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "If we're done being infantile, let's get back to this prophecy. Lucien says that Tristen has a weapon that can kill us. And, given the circumstance, Lucien qualifies as both friend and foe, and according to the prophecy—"

Elijah cut him off. "You are to beware both friend and foe. Yes, he does fit. But, let us not forget family, Niklaus."

Klaus, clearly hurt by the insinuation, paused for a moment before shrugging it off _. "_ Lucien's two out of three—I say we put him down. Just like old times," he said.

"Just like old times? Brother, I wonder who among our family do you suppose has the greatest predilection for betrayal?" Elijah asked pointedly.

"Elijah, that's not nice. Klaus did what he did for the sake of the family. It wasn't just to hurt and betray," Buffy said, frowning at her lover in disapproval.

Klaus gave her a grateful look. "Brother, _please_ —let's not rehash all the ways I messed up. We don't have time for a walk down memory lane," he said. "Let's kill Lucien and be done with it."

"Now, before we murder Lucien, there are certain questions that need to be answered. Chiefly, _what_ is he doing here?" Elijah wondered.

"Wait," Buffy interrupted. "If Klaus sired him, how can he be a threat to Klaus? Killing Klaus is like killing himself, right?"

"As far as we know," Elijah said. "But if the three of them are aligning against us together, things could get worse."

"I thought they were at war," Buffy said, confused by all the political intrigue.

"That's what they say, but who knows? We did teach them everything we know," Klaus said sourly.

"And that's why Lucien hates you?" Buffy asked.

Elijah gave Klaus a look. Buffy caught it. "What am I missing?" she asked, looking between the two brothers. "Is there another reason why he hates you?"

"Well, he was in love with Aurora," Klaus said. "I knew that, but I still seduced her away from him."

Buffy gave him a disapproving look. "You just can't keep it in your pants, can you?"

"Of course, I can! But Aurora was an incredibly beautiful woman—she was hard to resist," Klaus insisted.

"She is a redhead," Elijah added. "Klaus has a weakness for redheads."

Hayley came into the room. "Is Willow here?" she asked.

Buffy frowned. "Isn't she with you? She told me that you and Jackson were taking Hope to the Farmers Market. She wanted to go with you."

"She was with us. Then she just disappeared while I was looking at some fruit," Hayley said.

Buffy stood. "She wouldn't have left without saying something to you. She's the most responsible person I know," Buffy said.

"What you wanna bet that Lucien took her?" Klaus said, getting angry.

"Why would he take Willow?" Buffy asked.

"Who is Lucien?" Hayley asked.

"Oh, no one has told you? The first of our sire lines are descending on New Orleans, declaring us in dire straits," Rebekah said.

"What?" Hayley asked.

"I'll fill you in," Rebekah assured her.

"In the meantime, I'll go talk to Marcel and see if he knows where Tristan is hiding at," Elijah said.

"Why would he know that?" Klaus asked, frowning.

"It seems my old group is thinking of breaking tradition by recruiting Marcel for the Strix," Elijah said.

Klaus snickered. "They must be getting desperate to seek outside your line," he said.

"On the contrary. Aya is in town with Tristan and believes that Marcel is so exceptional that he deserves an invitation," Elijah explained.

"If that is the case, then Marcel could fit the prophecy also—not just Lucien," Klaus said, frowning.

"What prophecy are you talking about?" Hayley asked.

"Well, it appears my old mate Lucien has acquired a genuine seer, and in an effort to prove his good intentions, he got her to show us some rather _dire_ visions of future doom. It's grim stuff, really—not for the faint of heart," Klaus said.

"Who's doom are we talking about, here? Because if it's _yours_ , I think we're all okay with that," Hayley said with a smirk.

"Well, sadly, we're all on the chopping block. But, chin up! This witch claims her visions are constantly evolving. So, you may just get your wish!" Klaus announced. "I'm going to go find my wayward siree."

"I'll go with you," Buffy told him.

"If anyone is going to kill Lucien, it's going to be me," Klaus informed her.

"I'll slay whoever I want to slay. I don't need your permission," Buffy said, glaring at him.

Klaus gave Elijah a beseeching look. "Elijah, control your woman!"

Buffy knew she had to make one thing very clear, so she hauled off and slugged him with all her strength. The hit broke his jaw and moved him back several feet.

"No one controls me," she said coldly. "Not you. Not your brothers. Not Willow. Forget that again, I won't be just breaking your jaw." Then she walked out of the room. She didn't need Klaus' help to get to Lucien's since she knew where he lived.

Hayley was torn between laughter and disbelief as she had never seen _anyone_ treat Klaus the way Buffy did. She was so powerful and didn't let anyone—not even Klaus—intimidate her.

Elijah wasn't torn. He simply laughed.

Rebekah ran to her brother to help him up. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Klaus's rage threatened to overcome his good sense. He popped his jaw back into place with a wince. "I'm going to beat that little slayer blue!" he growled.

"You'll try," Elijah said smugly. "Buffy is her own boss. She will do what she pleases. With her friend in danger, there will be no mercy."

"It's not like Willow needs her protection," Klaus grumbled as he marched out of the room, determined to intercept the slayer.

As he made it outside, his phone rang.

"If one hair on Willow's head is harmed, I will personally dismember you," Klaus warned. "That is if Buffy doesn't do it for you."

"I haven't harmed her, and I have no intention of harming her. I just wanted to get your attention," Lucien said. "I don't think you're taking the threats of the sire line very seriously."

"Oh, I'm serious," Klaus said disconnecting.

***** _A Short Time Later*****_

Elijah went to Marcel. He found him looking at a card in bemusement. "Marcellus. Any sign of Willow? Lucien has made his first move," Elijah said.

Marcel looked up. "What? Willow? The redhead? No. I don't usually see her around here unless she's with Davina. I think that's one witch who can take care of herself," Marcel said with a grin.

"True. But Buffy is a bit hot headed when it comes to her friends' safety," Elijah said. "She's apt to kill Lucien before we find out what he's up to exactly."

"What they're all up to," Marcel said, holding up the card he held. "I've been invited to a party."

Elijah looked at the card. "A surprising turn of events. They've signaled you out for a reason," he said.

"What? It can possibly be because they admire what I've achieved in New Orleans?" Marcel asked, annoyed. Elijah and Klaus were his role models for a century. They taught him everything he knew about being a man. Yet more than anything, he had longed to be real family to them. For a time, he was. Then they left him for dead, running from their father. They never looked back nor came to see if he truly perished. If he had mattered, they would've. The sting of his abandonment never quite left him.

"Marcel, I can assure you that although your accomplishments are great, Tristan would never choose a member of Niklaus' line," Elijah said. "The rules of the Strix are ancient and unbreakable. They would seek to use you."

"No one uses me," Marcel said coldly.

"I hope not," Elijah said. "If you see Davina, tell her that we fear Willow's been taken. If she senses strong magics being used, not to be alarmed. Willow might slap around some ancient vampires."

"Call me if you need help," Marcel said.

"I'm sure I'll see you later. If the Strix take you in, we'll have someone on the inside. You can find out what exactly they are planning," Elijah stated.

"You know that you can count on me to have your back," Marcel said.

"I'll be in touch," Elijah told him. The Strix were playing a game with Marcel. It was time Elijah reminded them of who he was. For a minute, he considered eliminating their seer. However, Buffy wouldn't like it. She had a strict sense of morality. Killing humans was not allowed—unless they were trying to kill her sister. He would go another way.

***** _Lucien's*****_

When Buffy arrived at Lucien's penthouse door, she decided that a clear display of force was needed. She had just kicked down the door and walked in when Klaus arrived.

A startled Lucien looked at her in amazement. Buffy had her scythe in hand. "No one kidnaps my friends. Now you're going to die slayer style," she informed him. She was about to swing her scythe when Klaus grabbed her arm.

"Buffy, calm down," he said. He gave Lucien a glare.

"Out of my way, wolf boy. This guy needs to die. He's a threat to this city. I'm the slayer, so I'm going to slay him!" she told Klaus pulling her hand back.

Willow decided to get up from her chair, dissolving her binds in a moment. She gave Lucien a smug smile when he looked more than surprised.

Lucien was a brilliant man, learned all he could from Klaus and then spent centuries gaining all the knowledge and power that he could. It was clear that he had miscalculated. This woman who called herself a slayer was strong enough to not fear Klaus at all. Lucien sensed not one ounce of fear from her. Was this simply because she was that secure in her place as Elijah's lover?

"Klaus, Buffy, both of you can relax. You know that I'm perfectly fine," Willow assured them as she stood to her feet.

"I'm glad, Will. But the vamps in this town gotta know that nabbing my friends off the street will not be tolerated," Buffy said, taking a step toward Lucien.

Lucien's seer, Alexis, appeared and saw the threat to Lucien. Deciding that Buffy was the most immediate threat, she raised her hand to bring Buffy to her knees. However, her magic bounced off Buffy as if hitting an invisible shield.

Willow glanced at the witch in amusement. "You can't hurt her. I've made sure that she's immune to magical attacks," Willow told her.

Lucien exchanged a look with his seer. It was becoming abundantly clear that he knew very little about Klaus's allies. His miscalculation could cost him a lot. He scrambled to disarm the situation, holding out his hands in a placating gesture.

"Look, I'm sorry. I was just trying to get Klaus's attention. It didn't feel like he was taking the threats from the other lines seriously. The prophecy is real," Lucien said earnestly.

Klaus moved in front of Lucien, facing his former protegee. "You wanted my attention—you got it," he said. "But understand this: I am _not_ as vulnerable as you believe. I have friends with powers you cannot begin to comprehend. My family has stood for a thousand years. We will not be brought down by inter-fighting amongst our lines. Find a way to declare a truce or I'll let Buffy kill the lot of you. She is a vampire slayer, after all. It's what she was born to do."

"I don't need your permission to know when to slay, Klaus!" Buffy fumed. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Come on, love. I need to keep Lucien alive—for now. He is useful," Klaus said in a cajoling tone.

Lucien looked between the redheaded witch and the slayer, frowning. These two women were obviously powerful. Buffy's manhandling of him the evening before had been telling. However, her interaction with Klaus now was more so. He was definitely _not_ in control of this slayer. As for the slayer's redheaded friend—Lucien glanced at her—she must have some type of power that was not connected to the ancestors. He would have to deal with her another way. Fortunately, he had many ways and many resources.

"I have word that there's a weapon that can kill an Original, and I know where it is," Lucien said, playing the card he knew would stay their hands.

This game was just getting started.

 _*****To Be Continued*****_

 _I hope you're still reading. Thanks for your reviews and follows! If you are reading but never have watched the show, Klaus does change on a dime. His character can enrage you in one scene and move you to tears in another. He is never the hero of the story, but his family is his redemption, especially Elijah and his daughter._


	6. Chapter 6

**Dialogue comes from the episode in many places.**

Chapter 6: Party Crasher

Marcel found a garment bag hanging at his place. He was examining the tuxedo and found another one of the Strix's business cards in the inner jacket pocket. On the back was a message: "7041 ST. CHARLES AVE. MIDNIGHT." There had been a glass at the bar with lipstick on it, so he had expected to see Aya. His phone rang. Knowing it was the Strix, he answered.

"This your way of asking me nicely? Didn't think I have my own clothes?" Marcel asked.

"It's an invitation. I believe Aya told you a bit about The Strix—who we are, what we're capable of. Every few years, we gather to celebrate our status as the most elite creatures in the world. And, in the _rare_ instance we feel we've identified someone worthy of our attention, we open our doors," Tristan said.

"What makes you so sure I'm interested in you?" Marcel replied, arching an eyebrow. This must be the head honcho Aya mentioned—Tristan.

"You're still talking to me," Tristan said. "I understand you've fostered quite a community here in New Orleans. We can offer you a global network—resources, access, power. You're a born leader, Marcel. Why stop at just one city?"

"Maybe I'm happy with what I've got," Marcel said. Clever of them to appeal to his pride. No matter what happens a part of him was always seeking to outshine the only father he ever knew. For better or for worse, Klaus was his role model in all ways. Luckily, he'd also had Elijah to polish off his rough edges.

"Somehow I doubt that. But, if I've failed to pique your interest, by all means disregard this call. If, on the other hand, you feel you'd be a worthy addition to our ranks... Join us. Tonight. And, don't be late," Tristan said, disconnecting.

Marcel wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, he was intrigued by the entire group—Aya in particular. However, he wasn't stupid. He knew that all the sire lines descending on New Orleans with prophecies of doom wasn't a good thing. Did he really want to get into the middle of this? Tristan had no idea that new allies the Mikaelsons had. Buffy could well decide to battle the entire group if they pissed her off. Although Marcel hadn't spent much time with her, he knew that she had influence over both brothers, not just Elijah. Marcel had seen her with Klaus. They were genuinely friends; something Marcel had never seen before. Although Klaus was friends with Cami, Marcel knew that his sire was half in love with the human. His fear for her safety kept him away from her. With Buffy, though, they were equals.

Pulling out his phone, he made a call. "Buffy? You gotta a minute?" he asked. Time to do the unexpected.

***** _St. Anne's Church*****_

Elijah was in the middle of his own workout at the new gym Marcel had set up at St. Anne's church. As he kept vigorously punching and kicking a punching bag, he kept thinking of the threats to his family, how Lucien foolishly drew Willow into his plotting. Elijah had just found Buffy. The thought of anything or anyone threatening his future with her enraged him. He wanted centuries with her. Thinking about it, he got so heated in his exercise that he punched the bag clear across the room, where it knocked over a bench press and hand-weights. When he turned around, he saw that Hayley had entered the room with a small card in her hands. She addressed him with a mocking tone.

"Something the matter, Elijah? There's nothing you want to talk about? Like... The Strix? Rebekah filled me in," she said. "You also got an invitation from them."

Elijah pulled out a towel and used it to blot the sweat from his face. When he didn't respond, Hayley read the black invitation in her hands aloud to him: "I do hope that you can come, old chum. Signed, Tristan."

She waved the invitation in the air and Elijah walked over to pluck the invite out of her hands to read it for himself. "I was picking up Hope when some vampire dropped it off," she told him.

When Elijah remained silent, looking at the invitation, she got annoyed. "You care to fill me in?" she asked him.

"This isn't your concern," he said quietly.

Buffy came into the room. "It is just as much her concern as it is yours because she's a member of your family," Buffy said, giving him a pointed look.

"That's right," Hayley said, smiling at Buffy. "So, why don't you cut the protective macho crap and tell me what's going on. I'm part of this family too, Elijah. I thought _you_ of all people would act like it."

Looking between the two, he said in resignation. "So, what do you want to know?" he asked.

"I just got a very interesting call from Marcel," Buffy said excitedly. "He's invited me to a party!"

Hayley smirked. "I bet it's the same party Elijah was invited to," she said.

Buffy looked at the invitation that Elijah was holding and nodded. "Yep," she said.

"You want to go to the party with Marcellus?" Elijah asked, frowning.

"He did ask me," Buffy said. "He figured taking a slayer as a date would keep them all on their toes."

"I bet," Hayley said with a smirk. Then she looked at Elijah and grinned. "If it's okay with Buffy, I'll go as your date." She looked at Buffy, who nodded.

"We will definitely keep them guessing!" she said excitedly.

Elijah smiled, suddenly looking forward to his seeing his old friends.

 _*****Rousseau's*****_

Night had fallen, and a Halloween party was in full swing in the French Quarter, where people were in costumes and drinking both in the streets and inside the various bars and clubs in the neighborhood. Eventually, Klaus found Lucien in a booth at Rousseau's, where he was partying hard with three girls: one was a "sexy" cat, one was a "sexy" nurse, and the other was dressed up as a skeleton bride. They all held up their shot glasses in toasts. It was clear that Lucien was having a good time, and he _still_ hadn't explained what this secret weapon was that could kill them. Klaus worked hard to control his anger.

Lucien grinned up at him. "Glad you could join us. Have a seat," he said.

Klaus glared at the tall, muscular man leaning against the bar. He'd seen that particular vampire too many times to be coincidence. Lucien noticed him staring at the man.

"Ah ha! I see you've noticed Gregory. Former Navy SEAL. I turned him personally to head my security team," Lucien bragged.

Klaus gave him an annoyed look. "Yes, I've noticed a lot of new faces at my favorite haunts," he said.

"It's strictly for your protection!" Lucien exclaimed with a grin. Then he picked up a shot of tequila and held it out to Klaus, who sighed in exasperation before sitting next to him and taking the shot from him. Lucien picked up another shot for himself.

"Your resources are extensive," Klaus observed.

Lucien chuckled. "And you don't even know the half of it."

They clinked their shots together before drinking them.

"You see, Nik, I have spent several lifetimes building a company devoted to shattering the very limits of what is possible. I have some of the most brilliant minds in the world developing technologies that you couldn't imagine," Lucien told him.

"With Alexis as your crowning achievement, no doubt," Klaus said.

Lucien shrugged. "Well, she's amazing. But you seemed to have acquired two powerful women of your own," he said.

"Willow and Buffy are extraordinary," he admitted. He drank another shot.

"I did some research on your slayer. She's got quite a reputation," Lucien said. "Has she really died a few times and came back?"

Now it was Klaus who shrugged. "I'm not privy to all her secrets. Elijah probably is. I do know that she is immortal now with none of the weaknesses that vampires have," he said. Let Lucien chew on that. He was planning things, but Klaus was not without his own resources. Lucien had no idea what the slayer and her best friend were capable of.

"Really? She cannot be killed?" Lucien asked in surprise.

Klaus emptied another shot and felt like doing some boasting of his own. "She died a few years ago and was buried for months. Willow resurrected her," he said with a smirk.

Lucien's hand paused on the way to his mouth. He sat the drink down. "You have a witch that can raise the dead?" He asked.

"She's got some power," Klaus said easily. "But she's no seer. The single cure to the most terrifying threat of all—the unknown."

"I'm not following," Lucien said, looking confused.

Klaus chuckled happily at Lucien's confusion. "Clarifying the unknown? Perhaps, we should go pay your seer another visit? See if anything has snapped into focus in regards to that mysterious threat against us."

Lucien looked slightly uncomfortable, and Klaus worked to cajole him. "If, that is, you're prepared to share your resources..."

"Of course! Her visions are our greatest chance for survival," he assured Klaus quickly.

They both drank another drink, but Klaus got the feeling that Lucien was hiding something. He gave Lucien a look that the younger vampire knew well. Klaus would not be put off any longer.

"Alexis. She is my best weapon. She can tell us where the threat is coming from, what this weapon is," he said. He pulled out his cell phone to call her. "She's not answering."

Klaus wasn't concerned. "Maybe she went out. It _is_ a holiday," he said.

"No, Alexis never leaves unescorted. Maybe she's sleeping," he said. He got up. "We need to go check on her."

Klaus followed Lucien to his penthouse. Alexis wasn't there. Lucien paced in his living room as he called someone. "I don't want your excuses, I simply want her found! Do you understand?" Lucien hung up the phone.

"Perhaps you should place your special lady friend on a shorter leash?" Klaus said.

Lucien shook his head. "You don't understand—Alexis doesn't go outside unless she has to. She's too sensitive. If she's gone, then someone took her," he said, his concern obvious.

Klaus smirked. "All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't find one prognosticating witch," he said. "Ah, well. Takes one to find one, I always say." He pulled out his phone to call Freya. No sense in involving Willow this soon.

***** _Strix Party*****_

Hayley linked her arm through Elijah's and walked into the midnight party. "So... What exactly am I walking into tonight?" Elijah handed the man his invitation.

The Strix's party was in full swing, complete with formally-dressed members wearing masquerade masks and burlesque dancers dressed in the style of the flappers of the 1920s. There were humans in attendance as well, most of whom were being fed on by the various members of The Strix.

"Only the most dangerous and influential congregation of vampires the world has ever known," he replied grimly. Too many things could go wrong. There was no predicting how Buffy would react in a room full of vampires. Instinct could be stronger than reason. At her core, Buffy was a predator.

It'd been too long since Hayley had spent any alone time with Elijah. She was wearing a beautiful red dress borrowed from Rebekah. Jackson might've been more bothered by the outing if it wasn't abundantly clear that Elijah had moved on from Hayley. He only had eyes for the slayer these days. Although it irked Hayley a bit, she was happy for him—mostly.

"This is the first time we've hung out in a while," she said as she stared at all the masked vampires.

"Yes," Elijah acknowledged. He wasn't sure how he felt about the events that were transpiring. Buffy with Marcel was not going to go smoothly—he just knew it. His slayer didn't do tact well. Dealing with the Strix required a subtle hand, and Buffy didn't do subtle.

"Why are they all staring at you?" Hayley asked him.

"I'm kind of a big deal around here," he said with a shrug.

Hayley's eyes widen in realization as they head toward the bar across the room. "They're all part of your sireline."

"Most of them, tragically, yes. You see, Hayley, I wanted to assemble minds curious about the world and eager to improve it, along with the time and circumstance to do so. My desire was to create an elite brotherhood devoted to a new, better civilization. It was naive. Eventually, I was forced to abandon them once I realized I'd cultivated a legion of ego-maniacal sociopaths," he said in disgust.

Music continued to play as and the voices that dimmed on Elijah's appearance picked back up. However, the music came to a complete stop when Marcel entered the room with Buffy on his arms. Elijah, like everyone else in the room was riveted by her appearance. She had on a shimmering green dress that plunged low in both the front and the back. Her hair was up, exposing her neck—something she knew Elijah liked. Their eyes met from across the room, and she smirked at him. The Strix were shocked that Marcel had brought a human to their party—an insult never done by any member. Humans were prey, not guests.

Marcel knew that Aya and her boss were trying to use in him their power play with the Mikaelsons. Although the idea of joining an elite group that hated Klaus intrigued him, he knew something Tristan and the Strix didn't know. The woman on his arm wouldn't let a single one of the Mikaelsons die. He didn't need Tristan or the Strix.

Aya, dressed in a silver gown, saw Marcel entering the ballroom and put on her mask as she headed over to greet him.

"Marcel! Welcome," she said. She glanced at the woman on his arm in surprise. "I didn't realize that you'd bring a date."

Marcel grinned. "Well, it's a formal party. I thought a date would be a good idea," he said easily.

"Of course, your date is welcome—even if she is human," she said coolly.

Buffy bit back a grin as the attractive black woman worked to keep her mask of indifference on her face. Even with the face mask obscuring her eyes, Buffy could tell Aya was annoyed, so she held out her hand.

"I'm Buffy," she said with a bright smile.

"Buffy, this is Aya. From what I hear, she's almost as old as Elijah. She's been around since the Strix was started by him, right?" Marcel said, looking at Aya for confirmation.

Aya nodded, not pleased that a stranger she knew little about knew so much about her.

"Come. I'll introduce you around," Aya said, gesturing for them to follow. Aya led Marcel to a serious-looking man standing on the outskirts of the ballroom, who was wearing an all-black suit.

"Marcel, I'd like you to meet my mentor, Mohinder. He taught me everything I know about combat," she introduced.

Marcel smiled and held out his right hand, the hand on which he wore his daylight ring, to Mohinder. "Oh, if that's the case, then I am impressed!" he said.

Buffy, unlike Marcel, wasn't distracted by the beautiful Aya and noticed when Mohinder slipped Marcel's daylight ring off his hand. She moved quickly, grabbing the man's arm and twisting it back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked coldly.

Marcel looked down and realized that the vampire had his daylight ring in the hand Buffy had immobilized.

Mohinder snarled at Buffy and tried to pull her hand away. However, Buffy wasn't easily swayed and held on tight. "I asked you a question," she said, snapping his wrist with ease. "What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing?" she asked, biting each word out slowly.

"This is part of the test," Aya explained to Marel. "As part of his discipline, Mohinder drinks only the blood of vampires he's vanquished in combat. He can go weeks without feeding, yet suffer no effects of hunger, such is his control over body and mind. Taking your ring was supposed to be the first step in your challenge. Uncovering who had it would've been the test. Then you would fight him for it. " She gave Buffy a sour look—the human had ruined everything.

"I'm not going to apologize for protecting my date," Buffy said coldly.

Marcel took back his ring. "Sorry my date spoiled your plans," he said. Buffy released the vampire's hand.

Just then, a row of caterers with trays of champagne flutes walk into the room and tapped their glasses with butter knives to get the attention of the party as Tristan, dressed in a fine suit, made his arrival to the gathering known. He missed Buffy's interaction with Mohinder.

"Distinguished friends, welcome. It's so rare that we're able to come together like this to revel for one night in the company of true equals. Now, I'd like to take a moment to welcome a very special guest—Marcel Gerard."

Marcel took a step forward and nodded in acknowledgement as the crowd clapped their hands in applause. "Thank you. I'm honored. Thank you," he said.

Tristan smiled. "Of course, before we tell Marcel all of our secrets, there's one small piece of business to which we must first attend. We must determine his worth," he declared.

Marcel frowned in confusion. "That's funny... I seem to recall you being the one knocking on my door," he said.

Aya moved forward and whispered in Tristan's ear. Buffy could tell she was being told on, and she glanced at Marcel. "Do you really want to be a part of this, or can I take over from here?" she asked.

Marcel sighed. "It would've annoyed Klaus greatly if I was a Strix," he said.

"I'm really good at annoying Klaus," she told him. "In fact, I had to break his jaw this morning."

Marcel looked at her in surprise. However, her smug look of satisfaction made it clear that she wasn't joking. He laughed. "I like your style. Fine. Do your thing," he said, gesturing to Tristan who was now looking at Buffy with open curiosity.

"Marcel, your guest is a surprise. I have heard that she is Elijah's lover, yet Elijah is here with Klaus's ex. It's odd for a human to keep such illustrious company. It's quite unexpected," he said in amusement.

Buffy stepped forwarded and smiled at the room. "Yes, I am Elijah's lover. Or he is mine," she said, waving at her lover, who smiled at her in amusement. "Marcel decided that it'd be fun to bring a vampire slayer to the party since he knew that he couldn't possibly trust your invitation."

Tristan looked alarmed for a moment and then laughed. "Elijah, what game is this? We invited Marcel here because he is an extraordinary example of what a vampire can accomplish—a perfect Strix candidate. Yet you allow your human lover to be entangled in this. Why?" he asked.

Elijah stepped forward with Hayley, shaking his head. "Not wise, Tristan," he said in admonishment.

Buffy, stepping forward, pulled her stake out of her purse and slammed it in Aya's heart. "First of all, Elijah doesn't _allow_ me to do anything," she said. As the life drained from Aya, Marcel felt a twinge of guilt. She had been enticing.

"Secondly, I am no mere human and will kill any vampire I want if only to make a point."

Tristan's fist clenched in rage. However, the look of amusement and adoration on Elijah's face, held him in check. The same thing, though, could not be sad of Mohinder, whose anger at Buffy's action broke through his normally calm facade.

He charged Buffy.

Marcel braced himself for the battle he knew was about to start.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _Buffy and Willow's presence in town is seriously going to derail all the events of season 3. I hope you are enjoying this take that deviated only slightly from the episode. However, things will definitely go away from the script from here. Thanks for reading. Reviews are so appreciated!_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Throwing the Gauntlet

 _*****Where We Left Off*****_

Mohinder tried to grab Buffy in a choke-hold, but she easily dodged his charge. The audience wasn't amused as a growing sense of anxiety filled the air. It increased when Buffy slammed her fist into his face so hard that he hit three vamps, knocking them down. The tangle of bodies kept him from getting on his feet quickly enough. Buffy was there, though, and she picked Mohinder up over her head—now she had the audience riveted and horrified.

How was she so strong? She wasn't a vampire.

Buffy could sense the growing danger and threw the vampire through the wall. A giant body-sized hole could be seen. Deciding to end the fight before someone tried to interfere, she jumped through the hole after him. She started to punch him hard in the face when he kicked out, throwing her off him. Buffy rolled quickly and jumped up.

"This is going to end just one way. Your death," she said as she reached down for a broken piece of wood and raised it. "If you want to die, keep coming at me."

"I do not fear death," Mohinder said coldly.

"You should. The fact that you don't survive on human blood makes me reluctant to kill you, and it means you might escape one of the worst hell dimensions that are out there," she told him.

"Hell? There is no hell. Just the Other Side. It's not so bad," Mohinder scoffed and stepped toward her.

"Someone's been lying to you. I've been to a hell dimension. Had a boyfriend escape another one. Believe me, they're all places of torment," Buffy said.

Mohinder charged her anyway, knocking her back through the hole.

Buffy wasn't surprised by the move and had her make-shift stake ready, plunging it up as they fell. His body was impaled as he fell on top of her.

Buffy moved him off her and stood, glaring at the stunned vampires looking at her. Mohinder, one of their best fighters, was dead.

"That was a waste. He didn't have to die," she said. Her gaze swept through the audience. "None of you do."

"I don't know about that, my dear," Elijah said, holding out his hand to her. She took it and let him pull her to his side. "My sireline is both arrogant and stubborn."

Klaus and Lucien pushed their way through the crowd. He grinned at Buffy as he took in the scene and the two dead vampires. He knew that his brother hadn't done the work. "My future sister-in-law is making friends everywhere she goes, I see," he observed with a chuckle.

Lucien glanced at the dead vampires, recognizing them both. His gave Buffy a look of respect and said nothing. He did note, however, Klaus's public claiming of Buffy.

"Some vampires don't know when to back off or shut up," Buffy said crossly.

Now Klaus laughed out loud. Tristan didn't like what he was seeing. Klaus was too easy with this human. Elijah was unconcerned. This wasn't good. He could see his careful plans starting to unravel.

Klaus cast a look of disdain over the crowd. "You know, I used to find it insulting that I was barred from your special little club. But now, I realize that I lack the flexibility to become a member—I could never get my head far enough up my own ass," he said.

Now it was Buffy's turn to laugh in amusement. "They do seem a bit pretension," she observed.

"That's an understatement," Elijah said. "Tristan, if you and your group wants to survive, I suggest you leave town and stop the petty squabbling."

"The news of the distance between my big brother and me was sorely exaggerated," Klaus added. "No one is going to divide us. Nothing can destroy the Mikaelson family. As you can see, we have aligned ourselves with someone as powerful as we are, who can't be destroyed."

"She's also immune to magical attacks," Lucien added, looking at Buffy with interest. She was a real problem.

"I'm immune to a lot of things. The common cold, too," she said with a grin.

Hayley spoke for the first time. "I have a daughter in this town. If this fighting disturbs or endangers her in any way, I'll kill all of you myself," she said, glaring at both Lucien and Tristan.

"You'll try," Lucien said.

Buffy stepped toward him. She really hated this vampire. "I'll succeed," she threatened. "I don't care if Klaus has a fondness for you. I don't take orders from him. This little feud between the sire lines needs to end or I'll end it."

Before Tristan could form a reply, Willow appeared next to Buffy. "What did I miss?" she asked.

The casual display of magical power, startled the group. Murmuring broke out. Tristan looked at Lucien, who was clearly wary at the new arrival.

"The party crashers are growing tiresome, Elijah," Tristan said.

Buffy glared at the rude vampire and turned to smile at her best friend. "I love the dress, Will. Where's Freya?" she asked.

"Klaus has her doing something," Willow said, looking at the grinning Original, who looked too pleased with himself.

"As you can see," Elijah began, "we have very powerful friends."

"Not that we need help killing the lot of you," Klaus interjected with a curl of his lip.

"Tristan, the attacks on my brother and sister's sire lines needs to end," Elijah said.

"Or I will end you," Buffy added, stepping forward. "I have an entire army of slayers at my disposal. They don't normally kill your kind of vampire, but I can make that change. I'll have you and your group hunted to the ends of the earth."

"She's not lying," Elijah added. He looked at the Strix who seemed more shaken than ever.

Tristan didn't like not knowing everything. It was clear that he was at a distinct disadvantage. "I am not here to start trouble but to protect my sire," Tristan said.

"He has all the protection he needs. If anyone wants to hurt him, they'll have to get through me," Buffy said grimly. "Leave town before I slay you."

"She _is_ the vampire slayer," Klaus said with a smirk. His phone beeped, distracting him. He pulled it out and read Freya's message. Then he looked at Lucien. "Freya found her."

"Who was missing?" Tristan asked.

"Alexis," Lucien said. "If you've hurt her in any way, I'll kill you!" He glared at Tristan and then turned to leave. Klaus followed after him, pausing at Marcel. "The seer of Lucien's it at our house. She has a warning for us." Marcel nodded and followed the duo out of the room.

"So what will it be, Tristan?" Elijah asked. "Klaus doesn't need to be here to kill you. Buffy and I can do it quite easily."

"And me," Hayley added, glaring at him.

"Of course," Elijah said, smiling at her.

"I'll just make it clear," Willow said, holding up her hand and breaking the necks of all the vampires in the room with her power. The compelled humans looked horrified as bodies fell and ran from the room. Tristan looked more than a little alarmed.

"Do we need to continue?" Elijah asked Tristan.

"I will have them leave when they rouse," Tristan said in resignation. Time to pull back and regroup. The new allies of the Mikaelsons were formidable.

"That's good because I don't want to get blood on this dress. It's already got a tear," Buffy said, looking down at it with a pout.

"Let's go home," Hayley suggested.

"We'll see you there," Buffy said with a wink. She grabbed Willow's hand, and the two of them disappeared.

"I will never get used to that," Hayley said. "Willow is stronger than your aunt was."

"But sane," Elijah said. "Tristan, great party." He gave his former friend a smug smile as Hayley took his arm, and they walked out of the room, stepping around the bodies.

Tristan pulled out his phone, dialing his sister. It went straight to voicemail.

"Sister, don't come to New Orleans. It's too dangerous. Call me as soon as you can," he told her. The last thing he wanted was Aurora facing off with those two women. The slayer wouldn't hesitate to kill his insane sister. He couldn't let that happen.

***** _Mikaelson Compound*****_

When they made it back to their home, Klaus went to check on his daughter, who was being watched by Rebekah up in her room. Everyone else stayed downstairs. Willow wanted to see the seer who had Klaus so concerned.

"How is she?" Klaus asked, taking Hope from Rebekah.

"A perfect angel as always," Rebekah said, smiling at her niece. She was surprised to see Marcel. "Hello, Marcel. What brings you here?"

"He was the guest of honor at a party the Strix were holding," Klaus shared. "They tried to recruit him. I don't know what he was thinking."

"I was thinking that I'm not going to sit around and wait for you to let things get worse. It's called being proactive," Marcel said defensively.

"I cannot believe that you let the Strix draw you into their web," Klaus said to Marcel, giving him a disappointed look.

"Whoever comes after you is coming after me," Marcel reminded him. "You die. I die."

Before Klaus could respond, a tired-looking Freya walked into the room to talk to Klaus. "She's awake," she said to Klaus, who nodded. Klaus handed his daughter back to Rebekah. Then he walked toward the door, pausing at Marcel's side.

"Yes, whoever comes for me may very well come for you. But, they may also come through you, Marcellus," Klaus said, putting his hand on Marcel's shoulder. "Remember that. It would pain me to lose you to an enemy." Then he followed Freya out of the room, leaving a surprised Marcel staring after him.

"He loves you, Marcel," Rebekah assured him. "He just has trouble showing it sometimes."

Marcel didn't know what to say about that. "You've always been too good for him," he said.

"He's my brother. He was your father," she reminded him. "Come and hold your sister."

Marcel felt overwhelmed by both Klaus's words and Rebekah's, but he was never able to resist a kid and picked up Hope, who smiled up at him, patting his cheek.

Downstairs, Lucien was sitting next to Alexis on the couch, while Klaus, Hayley, Elijah, and Freya are standing around them. Buffy and Willow are watching from across the room.

Alexis gave Lucien a look of regret. "I'm sorry. I hoped I was wrong, Lucien. I really did. But I saw it. I saw him die," she said, looking at Klaus.

Klaus sighed and closed his eyes, not at all happy with this news.

"Did you see the weapon?" Lucien asked.

Alexis nodded in response.

"What is it?" He inquired.

"To understand, it must be seen," she replied. She smiled weakly at Lucien, who looked confused. Klaus was suspicious and glanced at Willow for help.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

Alexis held out her wrist to Hayley, who sat down next to her on the couch. Lucien got up and allowed Elijah to sit down in his place.

"Please tell me that you're not going to do what I think you're going to do," Buffy said in disapproval and disgust.

"It's the only way they can see," Alexis defended, holding her other wrist up to Elijah.

Elijah gave his lover an apologetic look as he glanced at Hayley, who nodded.

Hayley and Elijah look at each other warily before they each bite into Alexis' offered wrists and began to feed.

Alexis threw her head backward as her eyes rolled back into her head as the visions began. Like the other visions, the first flash was of a page from a grimoire with a spell and several pentacles were written on the parchment. Then, the vision cut to the dining room of the Mikaelson compound, which appeared in disarray—it looked like a fight broke out during dinner because the chairs were overturned, broken glasses litter the table and floor, and the plates of food have been scattered over the bunched up tablecloth.

The scene changed to another flash as they saw Freya dipping her fingers in the bowl of blood, and the scene of Elijah's painted portrait in the living room was dripping blood.

Another flash of Freya casting the spell and then there was the pieces of paper with Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah's names written in Elder Futhark Runic script catching on fire.

Quickly, the scene changed once again. Then there was a flash of Lucien's face, which looks serious at first before he smirks smugly. Another flash of the "beast" with extremely long and sharp fangs was seen as well before the vision erupts into flames.

"This needs to stop," Willow said as she saw that Alexis' nose had begun to bleed, and Hayley quickly stopped feeding on her, looking at the blood on her hands in fright.

Suddenly, Elijah threw up all the blood he had just drunk onto the floor, and Hayley looked sick as well as she tried to keep herself from throwing up as well. Buffy ran to his side, holding him up.

No one noticed the new visitor that entered the compound and was observing the scene with growing horror.

"Something's wrong," Hayley said.

Elijah looked up at Buffy, upset and more than a little afraid. "Poison," he gasped.

Alexis coughed and began to vomit large amounts of blood. Lucien, rushed to her, but the blood began to pour from her nose and mouth. "No! No! No!" Lucien exclaimed, horrified.

Alexis fell into his arms. He held her, checking for signs up life. When he found none, he continued yelling, "No! No! No!"

"What the hell is going on, Buffy? Will? What kind of horror show are you letting take place?" A new voice demanded.

Buffy looked up and Willow turned. Both exclaimed at the same time:

"Faith!"

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _I couldn't resist bringing Faith in. I hope you're still enjoying this tale. Not sure how long it will be, but I like writing it. Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Dark Slayer

 _*****Where We Left Off*****_

Faith didn't know what the hell was going on but watching Buffy's lover feeding on a human with another vamp while Willow and Buffy watched was one of the most disturbing things she'd ever witnessed. When they started throwing up blood, it got even worse.

She exclaimed and got all eyes on her as she stepped into the room.

Freya could sense the new threat in the room as the dark predator looked at all of them in dismay and disgust. She started to raise her hand against the new arrival until she saw Willow's face—Willow was smiling.

Buffy groaned. "You're timing suck as always, Faith!" she grumbled. She walked forward and gave the other slayer a hard hug. They had a turbulent history, but Faith was the only slayer who could understand even half of what Buffy felt. The last of the Chosen Two, their bond was forged in war and death. Since Willow had called all the Potentials, Buffy could feel every one of them. But with Faith, the connection was the strongest.

Klaus looked at the new arrival with interest. Here was the Dark Slayer he'd heard so much about. The woman was dressed in red leather pants, combat boots, and a black leather jacket cover a black top. She was a caged panther, and he was more than intrigued.

Lucien didn't like the new arrival intruding on his moment of grief. She would bring violence and death—he could sense it. He took Alexis up in his arms and blurred away.

"What is it something I said?" Faith asked with a smirk. She looked at Elijah, narrowing her eyes. "Why the hell are you feeding on a human with another vampire? Buffy may be too far gone to beat some manners into you, but I'll kill that bitch or anyone else I see feeding on a human."

Hayley's hackles rose at the verbal attack, and she started to charge the new arrival. Shaking and sick at both the blood and the visions, she wasn't at her best anyway. Now this. Her anger rose, and sensing this, Elijah grabbed her arm. "Don't," he said gently. "She's Buffy's number two. She could kill you." Elijah didn't know if Faith could or not, but Hayley—though a hybrid—was a young vampire. She wasn't as strong as the rest of them. Nor did she have the experience fighting that Faith did.

"No one's killing anyone," Buffy said. She elbowed Faith hard in the stomach. "Behave and withhold judgment until you hear what's going on."

"Faith, this is Hayley, the mother of Elijah's niece," Willow interjected. "She wasn't feeding on Alexis. The girl Lucien just took off with was poisoned by someone and was dying. They were accessing her visions to find out the new threat."

"Oh," Faith said. Then she smiled eagerly. "Got a big bad to kill? It's been a few days since I've got to kill anything!"

Hayley rolled her eyes and went to see clean up as Klaus laughed. "You slayers are so blood thirsty! I love it!" he exclaimed in approval.

"Faith, this is Klaus, Elijah's younger brother," Buffy introduced.

Klaus stepped forward, holding out his hand. Faith grinned. "So you're the big bad vampire wolf?" Klaus grinned and kiss her hand as Faith snorted. "Damn, B! You weren't exaggerating! Those dimples are hot! Can I have this one?"

"I am so weary of hearing about those dimples," Elijah explained.

Klaus' chest puffed out as he preened under her look of admiration. "I'm not for sale, but I'm always looking to make new friends," he told her with a wink. "Especially deadly and beautiful ones like yourself."

"I am both of those things," Faith said smugly. Then she looked around the large, open room. "So I've never been to New Orleans. This is some house you got."

"Thanks," Elijah said. "We're glad you could make it. Buffy misses you."

"Really?" Faith asked in surprise.

"Of course, I do," Buffy said. "These boys aren't as fun to fight with as you are."

Faith laughed and threw her arm around Buffy. "We do have fun. Do you have a room in this big place for me? I could use a shower. I rode my bike here," she said.

"From Cleveland?" Willow asked in surprise.

"Yeah, well, I needed a change of scenery. Kennedy thinks she's ready to be in charge, so I thought I'd let her," Faith said with a shrug. "For a while anyways. I figure once your ex-bitch has full reign, the minis will be really appreciating me more when I return."

Buffy snickered. "Good idea," she said. "Come on. I'll take you upstairs. The room I had before I moved into Elijah's is free."

Willow grabbed Freya's hand. "Faith, this is Freya, the big sister," Willow introduced.

Faith gave Willow a knowing look. "She looks much better than Kennedy. I approve!" she said. "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you. The oldest human on the planet. Giles would love to introduce you to the Devon Coven."

"Excuse me?" Freya said, frowning.

"Don't let anything she says bother you," Willow said. "She has no filter."

"What I say?" Faith asked, confused.

"Let's go upstairs. I'll explain," Buffy said, pulling her along. "I'll introduce you to Rebekah while you're up there. Although if she finds out your threatened Hayley already, she might bitch-slap you."

Elijah and Klaus watched the slayers leave. Willow and Freya followed to broker the peace with Rebekah. "She's exactly what I pictured," Klaus remarked.

"I'm sure she is," Elijah said dryly. "But Faith being here complicates an already delicate situation."

"How so? She's just more strength on our side," Klaus said.

"Faith is not Buffy. You saw how she reacted to Hayley," Elijah pointed out. "You saw Buffy with the Strix. There's no controlling or predicting slayers. Buffy's love for me cannot force her to go against her programming or instincts."

"Buffy is loyal, and she inspires loyalty in others. Her Faith will die for her," Klaus said.

"But that doesn't mean she'll die for _us_ ," Elijah pointed out.

"Buffy loves you, and that means you're family. I listen to these humans. Willow talks a lot, and I've learned that there's nothing they won't do for their friends," Klaus said. "I'm sure you heard what Willow did to the man who accidentally killed her lover when he tried to shoot Buffy? She skinned him alive, and he was _human_. Faith has killed innocent humans and was even jailed for it. They're no church choir, Elijah. Relax."

"I'm not necessarily talking about their moral code, Niklaus. I'm referring to the primal drive inside of them to end a threat to humanity. All vampires pose that threat," Elijah said. "When Faith finds out about the Strix, she will go hunting. A group of elitist vampires will be too much for her to take."

"Let her. What do you care? Let her kill them all," Klaus said with a shrug.

"What will keep Lucien in check then? What is this beast Alexis showed me in her vision?" Elijah countered.

"We will figure it out, brother," Klaus said confidently.

"I hope so," Elijah said, uncertain.

***** _The Next Day*****_

Everyone slept late since Faith had kept the girls up telling stories about Buffy. Eventually, Klaus and Elijah had joined them to listen to the tale. This inspired Rebekah to tell more than one story of her own. None of them were awake to sense any intruders.

Vincent, however, came to deliver bad news and freaked out when he saw the macabre display.

"What the hell is going on?" he shouted. "Klaus! Elijah! Any Mikaelsons? Get your asses down here!"

Vincent recognized the dead woman on display. The cashier from the Jardin Gris shop was lying dead on the floor on a bed made of lavender sprigs. The woman had slashed both of her wrists and had presumably bled out onto the floor. The horrific scene both disgusted and angered Vincent. He shouldn't be surprised at the lengths that a family of vampires would sink to, but somehow this caught him by surprise. It didn't seem like the Mikaelson's style.

"Bloody hell, Vincent," Rebekah said, peering down from the balcony above. "What's with all the yelling? It's barely noon!"

Vincent pointed at the dead woman. "Care to explain why you're setting up ghastly scenes like this when there is a young child in the house?" he demanded.

Rebekah looked at where he was pointing. "Damn it," she muttered. "Elijah! Nik! Get out here!" She made her way downstairs to get a closer look as Klaus came out of his room.

"Vincent?" Klaus asked, spotting his least favorite witch. "I don't recall inviting you into my home."

"I came to tell you that Cami was arrested for all the murders," Vincent grimly. "She's obviously been framed by your little buddy Lucien. But then I saw this in your house, and I'm coming up with a whole other theory."

Klaus saw the woman and frowned. He went and knocked on Buffy and Elijah's door. "Buffy, wake up. We have a situation that you and Elijah need to deal with. I gotta go kill my former protegee and rescue a fair maiden," he said. Then he blurred away.

Vincent started to turn and leave when he spotted a beautiful new woman at the top of the stairs. Her sleepy eyes looked down at him with interest. "What's with all the yelling?" she asked with a sleepy yawn.

Vincent frowned, not liking the idea of another woman caught in the Mikaelson's web. "Lady, I don't know who you are, but if you know what's good for you, you will get far away from this family. They bring evil and destruction everywhere they go," he said.

Those words cleared the fog of sleep from Faith's brain, and she narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. Then she grabbed the handrail and jumped to the floor below. Like a stalking tiger, she moved toward the black man. "If you're going to toss out accusation and insults before I've had my coffee, you can at least tell me your name," she said.

Vincent saw the way she landed and knew she wasn't normal. No jewelry except a cross necklace around her neck showed her sporting a daylight ring. Curious, he held out his hand. "I'm Vincent Griffith," he said, introducing himself.

Faith gave him a considering look and took his hand. "Faith," she said simply.

Immediately, Vincent felt a rush of power. "You're like Buffy," he said. "You're a slayer."

A crooked smile appeared on her face. "There ain't no one like Buffy," she said. "B is one of a kind, the one and only. I'm the darker, more broken imitation of her."

"Don't say that!" Buffy scolded, standing at the top of the stairs with Elijah by her side. She quickly moved. "What's going on?"

"You friend here was telling me I should get far away from your new boy toy and his family if I know what's good for me," Faith said with a snicker. "Like I've ever done what's good for me."

"You could end up like her," Vincent said pointing to the dead woman they hadn't noticed.

Both Faith and Buffy started at the body. "What the hell, B?" Faith asked in shock.

Rebekah was reading a card she got off the body. "Elijah, it comes with a note," she said.

Vincent looked surprised. "What? You didn't kill the woman?" he asked.

Buffy gave him a disgusted look. "Are you insane? No one kills humans around me. If they did, I'd kill them or in the case of Elijah's brother, hurt him a whole lot," Buffy said.

"You really don't know Buffy," Faith told him, shaking her head.

"Someone did this while we were sleeping," Elijah said.

"I think I know who," Rebekah said, handing Elijah the note.

Buffy read it aloud while Elijah read it silently. "Roses are red, lavender is blue. Come find me before I find you."

"Aurora," Elijah said grimly.

"Yes," Rebekah agreed. "My former protegee and Nik's one-time great love is in town."

"This is how his ex says hello?" Buffy asked. "I'm so going to kill her!"

"And I thought _I_ had relationship problems," Faith said with a smirk. "So who are we killing first?"

"Let Nik handle Aurora," Rebekah advised.

"He left to deal with Cami," Vincent said.

"He's got experience at juggling women," Rebekah said with a shrug.

"Why are you here?" Buffy asked Vincent.

"They arrested Cami for those murders," he said.

"What?" Buffy asked in dismay.

"Nik will deal with it," Rebekah said. "If Lucien set up Cami, he will regret it. Cami is dear to too many people, including my brother. I quite like her myself."

"She's my friend," Buffy said. "I was going to go kill those horrible Strix if they didn't leave town, but I can make time for Lucien."

"Strix?" Faith asked.

"A bunch of Elijah's former groupies," Buffy said. "Vampires with delusions of grandeur. They need killing real bad."

"Cool," Faith said with an excited grin.

Vincent wasn't sure what the new player in town would bring to the table, but he knew that she was going to be a game changer. The spirits were already murmuring to him. She was a blade used to destroy evil, unpredictable and untamable. Her hands had shed innocent blood, so she knew the taste of darkness and abhorred it.

Vincent smiled. Just when things were dark, the ancestors brought back his faith. He never thought, however, his faith would be a real person.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _What do you like more? A Faith/Klaus pairing instead of Cami/Klaus or a Faith/Vincent pairing? I had toyed with Klaus/Faith, but Vincent needs someone to pull the stick that's perpetually lodged in his bum. Thanks for reading!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Some dialogue taken directly from the show. I am using details from season 3 with my own variations.**

Chapter 9: Dealing with Crazy

 _*****A Bit Later******_

Klaus went to the precinct to take care of the charges against Cami. He was more than a little upset to know that someone—probably Aurora had gotten there first. Detective Kinney was knocked out and Cami missing.

"I'm going to wring her bloody neck!" he complained as he left the station. He pulled out his phone to call his brother.

"Cami is not in jail. I think Aurora might have her," he said.

"Or Lucien," Elijah pointed out.

"Or the Strix," Klaus countered.

"Buffy is going to hit the streets with Faith," Elijah said. "The Jazz Festival is in town. Lots of people on the street."

"We'll find her," Klaus said confidently.

"You know that Lucien is the one that framed Cami," Elijah reminded him. "Not Aurora. This was happening before she came into town. Either one of them could have her."

"I will see you out there. I know she will leave me clues because she wants to be found," Klaus said. He disconnected the phone, heading out onto the streets.

He spent time at the parade with Elijah, following Aurora's clues. Faith and Buffy were staking out the shops that aligned the streets. Klaus and Elijah were focusing on the streets. While moving along with the foot traffic, Elijah had described the message that she left in their courtyard with the dead shop girl.

Eventually, Klaus arrived at the boutique where they make the perfume in Aurora's clue. He walked slowly through the front door and into the shop. After a moment, Aurora, having heard him enter, walked in wearing a short red dress and knee-length boots, smiling widely at him while Klaus scowled.

"I knew you would find me. Hello, my sweet love," she said. She moved closer, putting her hand on his chest and caressing him. "A thousand years. Can it really have been so long? Looking at you now, it feels like yesterday."

Klaus, still scowling, replied, "If yesterday were the apocalypse."

Aurora smiled, unoffended. "Are you saying that leaving me felt like the end of the world?"

"Leaving you _alive_ ," he clarified.

Aurora looked away from him and reached out to a display and grabbed a pin. She casually stabbed her index finger with it. Klaus glared out her. "You can always catch an insect with the smell of a flower—" she told him as she grabbed a perfume bottle and dropped a drop of her blood into it. She sniffed it and sprayed some of it on her neck. Then she moved closer to her, wanting him to smell. "But it's the smell of blood that draws a carnivore."

Klaus roughly grabbed Aurora by the wrist and leaned in close to her. "And what draws a snake?" he asked pointedly.

Aurora laughed. "Oh, how you _loathe_ me, so certain I've come to do you harm. Yet, as I recall, we did plenty of harm to each other. And, if I'm not mistaken, we both rather liked it, didn't we?"

Klaus wished he was unaffected by her words and her presence, but he remembered so clearly falling in love with her. She had been the first love of his rebirth. Loving a woman as a vampire made every moment that much more intense, poignant. He looked her in the eye and admitted, "Yes."

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you haven't thought about what we had every day for the last thousand years," Aurora said beseechingly. She covered his hand with hers.

Klaus felt torn. Even though centuries had passed, and other loves came—he thought of his sweet Caroline and Cami—the memory of Aurora hadn't faded enough. Unlike Caroline and Cami, Aurora had embraced him for who he was. He didn't want to change anything about her. Instead, Aurora had simply loved him. Too bad she was insane—he could never trust her. Klaus knew this and kept silent.

Aurora could sense he was weakening and pressed again. "You want to know why I have come? Because after a thousand years of trying to erase your touch, your smell, the taste of your lips... I'm here for you. For this," she said as she moved her face closer to Klaus, testing to see how he would react. When he didn't move, she slowly kissed him on the lips.

"I brought a warning for you," she whispered against his lips. "Elijah will betray you again."

Klaus refrained from pushing her away from him—as a part of him wanted. The other part of him wanted to return her kiss—he resisted that too. Instead, he glared at her. "You've had a thousand years to tell me of Elijah's betrayal. _Why now_?" he asked.

Her hands fell to her side, and she stepped back from him. "Well, there's never been a prophecy witch spelling all our doom until now," she said with a shrug. "You are going to be betrayed by family. I know it will be Elijah. Lucien's witch was powerful."

"What do you know of her?" Klaus asked, instantly suspicious as he noted her use of the past tense.

"I know I killed her," she said with a self-satisfied smirk. Then she turned to leave him. Klaus watched her walk to the door. Before she walked through it, she stopped and turned back to him. "My brother told me of her prophecy, but I needed to see her for myself. And what did she show me? The clan Mikaelson destroyed, including my sire. And I believed her. But, a dangerous toy in dangerous hands must be removed, so I poisoned her. And now, I'm going to change the future she saw," Aurora said confidently.

"By trying to turn me against the only brother I have left?" he asked.

Aurora smirked. "The prophecy said that you would fall by friend, by foe, and by _family_. Have you thought of who that family might be? 'Cause I think it might just be the one closest to you," she said

Klaus started to get angry at the belief that he would be betrayed by his brother. Then he relaxed. She, like most everyone else, had no idea how far he and Elijah had come—thanks to Buffy. "I'll tell you what I've told Lucien. Elijah and I are closer than ever. Sure, the events that occurred when my insane child-knapping aunt was in town tested our bond. However, he has forgiven me. His lover, Buffy, loves me and considers me family. Screw with me, you will be dealing with the oldest and deadliest vampire slayer alive," he informed her.

Aurora paused, surprised at this revelation. Then she shrugged. "Sounds like Elijah has yet another weapon to hurt you with. That puts you at greater risk than ever before," she said.

Klaus laughed as he stepped closer to her. "You don't know Buffy," he said. "She doesn't do anyone's bidding—not even Elijah's. Her best friend, a witch even more powerful than my mother and aunt, has also grown quite fond of me." He put his hand on her shoulder in a friendly manner. "You need not worry, love. I am quite safe." He brushed passed her to walk out of the store, deeply satisfied with his encounter.

"Niklaus, wait!" Aurora called out after him. She pulled him back. "There's something you need to know." She put his hand on his face and drew him into her memory.

Klaus was stunned as she revealed something that Elijah had kept hidden for a thousand years. He stared at her in silence. Then he left without a word.

A satisfied smile filled Aurora's face. "Let's see them get through that without a fight," she said.

***** _A Restaurant in the Quarter *****_

With the girls, combing the streets looking for Strix to slay, Elijah decided to confront Tristan and see if he could get any real intel from him. The vampire's days in the city were numbered—more than he realized.

Tristan gave him a friendly smile as he approached his table. "Elijah. I didn't realize we had a meeting on the books today," he said.

"We don't. Unfortunately, your assistant refused to accommodate me," he said as he sat down across from Tristan.

"What would you like to discuss?" Tristan replied, the smile leaving his face. Elijah could tell that his one-time protegee was not happy with him.

"Recent events would suggest you've been less than forthcoming about threats facing my family," Elijah said coolly.

"A threat to you is a threat to _me_ ," he reminded Elijah.

Elijah narrowed his eyes. "Naughty little liar," he said.

Tristen grinned in amusement. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," he replied.

"Oh, I'm _quite_ certain you do know precisely what I'm talking about, Tristan. I can hear that heart of yours racing away. You see, even as we speak, I suspect Niklaus is with your sister." Elijah pulled the blood-stained letter Aurora left for Klaus out of his inner jacket pocket and laid it in front of Tristan on the table. "I don't have to tell you what a volatile combination the two of them are."

"And you think I'm hiding her?" Tristan asked.

"Wherever _you_ go, Aurora follows," Elijah said.

"It's true, on her good days. Years ago, Rory fell into one of her _dark_ periods. It's been a _long_ one and has yet to lift. I saw she got the care she needed," he informed Elijah.

"I don't care. Where is she?" he asked.

Tristan smirked. "Are you _that_ afraid of what my sister might have to say to your brother?"

"Your sister has a habit of cultivating misfortune," he replied.

Tristan shrugged. "I can't disagree. And, as it happens, I don't know her current whereabouts, but I know she can't be here. _I'm_ the first person she'd come to."

Elijah looked at him carefully for signs of lying. Then he gave up and stood. "I wouldn't be too sure that you are the _first_ person she would go to," he said. Then he left to go find Marcel.

 _*******St. Vincent Chapel*****_

Marcel and Elijah were standing outside of the cage in Marcel's fighting gym and discussing Elijah's meeting with Tristan earlier as they watch several vampires spar with each other.

Marcel frowned at him. "Is that all you got? A hunch?" he asked, after Elijah shared his misgivings and suspicions about Tristan.

Elijah's eyes flashed in annoyance at Marcel's audacity to question him. "I don't do hunches. I've known Tristan a thousand years. He's not easily shaken, and yet I heard that little weasel's heart pound when I accused him of working with someone, and, strangely, nothing when I mentioned Aurora. He may be telling the truth about that," he said.

Marcel nodded. "But, he could be hiding something, and now you need my help finding out what," he said.

"That would be splendid, Marcellus," Elijah snarked. "You do have that _fabulous_ new Strix membership,"

Marcel rolled his eyes. "I'm only with those people because I want to know why they're in my city, and I'm not blowing my cover just because you heard a guy's heart skip," he said. "Besides, your girl kind of blew my membership initiation up, remember?"

"It doesn't dismiss the fact that Tristan genuinely wants you for the Strix," Elijah said.

Marcel flashed him a smug smile. "But, lucky for you, I got this city wired in ways you don't even know about. I'll have my people trail your boy. Let's see what they find out," he replied.

****** _Rousseau's******_

Buffy nudged Faith. "This is Cami's bar," she said. She paused and looked inside. "Why are there people inside if she's in jail?"

"Doesn't she have, like, employees?" Faith asked.

Buffy looked sheepish as she nodded. "Yeah, I guess," she opened the door and went in. Faith followed.

Right away, Faith's senses were tingling. She nudged Buffy. "B, there's vamps in here," she said.

Buffy went up to Vincent, who was sitting at the bar. "So, Mr. Witch-with-a-judgey-attitude, have you heard from our friend?" she asked.

Vincent looked at the two slayers. "No. I've tried a locator spell, but it's turned up nothing. Someone is using magic to block her," he said.

"Probably Lucien or the Strix," Buffy said. She sat down on one side of him. Faith surprised him by sitting on the other side.

"It's really wrong that vamps can be out in the day time," Faith said, gesturing to the five or six scattered at some tables in the corner. The vampires were staring at them and talking.

"A witch sold herself to vampires and did their bidding," he said with scorn.

"Nope. That's not true," Buffy said, frowning. "You know very well that the original witch, Esther Mikaelson's best friend, was a Bennett witch. They knew the secret. It's been passed around from witch to witch."

"You witches have been in bed with vamps from the beginning, so I don't know why you're so judgmental," Faith said. She ordered a drink from the bartender.

Vincent flushed at the mild rebuke. Before he could say anything, Buffy asked him, "Do you know those vampires over there? Are they Marcel's?"

Vincent looked and shook his head. "No, they're not from here," he said.

"You're sure?" Buffy asked. "Because Faith was wanting to get her slay on, and I told her that this town was kind of a drag. Full of supernatural creatures with souls that I can't kill."

"A vampire is a monster by nature and should be killed," Vincent said.

"I totally agree. Except for Elijah 'cause he's hot, and Buffy loves him," Faith said with a grin.

"I told Tristen that he and his band of mad vamps better leave town, or I'd kill more than the two I killed already," Buffy said. She hopped off the stool. "We should go find out."

"This is Cami's place. Don't go destroying it," Vincent warned.

"If we break the furniture, we'll replace it," Faith said with a wink. She downed her drink and followed Buffy.

"Hey, guys!" Buffy said, flashing the tables of vampires her sunniest smile.

These vampires, however, were older than most she'd encountered. They weren't fools. As members of Strix, they were wiser than most. They knew who Buffy was, but they didn't know who Faith was. They looked at her curiously even as they gave Buffy wary glances.

One man spoke. "Hello," he said.

"You wouldn't happen to be friends of Tristan? Members of the Strix?" Buffy asked.

The man nodded. "We are," he said.

"Great! Then you know who I am," Buffy said.

"Who is she?" a woman asked sitting with the guy asked, gesturing to Faith.

"Oh, that's Faith. My slightly crazier, darker counterpart. She came to see me, and I told her how this town was full of vampires with souls," Buffy said.

"Which sucks," Faith said, swinging and stretching out her arms to loosen them up. "If I don't get to kick something's ass at least once a day, I get all pent up. Then I get angry and am a bigger bitch than normal. Right, B?"

Buffy grinned at her. "A total bitch," she said in agreement.

"We aren't looking for trouble," the man assured her.

"See, I think you are. I think you and your arrogant asshat of a leader, Tristan, are looking for exactly that," Buffy said. "I believe I told you all to get out of town. Yet here you sit. Why is that?"

Another guy said sourly, "We don't take orders from you."

"You better start if you want to live," Buffy announced. Faith threw a stake, impaling the vampire who was protesting. The rest stood to their feet.

"Who's going to die next?" Faith asked eagerly.

Half left immediately. The first guy who spoke to her snarled a warning. "You're going to regret that!"

"So I've been told," Buffy said, unconcerned. She stood close to the vampire, daring him to attack. However, the man was a Strix, and all Strix were chosen for their superior intelligence. After a glare, the vampire left, leading the remaining to follow after him.

"Damn, B! You scared them off! I didn't get to kill but one!" Faith said with a pout.

Vincent eyed the woman. "You're a bit blood thirsty, aren't you?" he asked.

"So?" Faith said, daring him to criticize. "I'm a vampire slayer. They're vampires. I'm hardwired to kill vamps. Buffy cares more about the soul thing than I do, but I'm reformed. I try to kill only evil beings."

"Yet you give the Mikaelsons, the most evil of all vampires, a fee pass," Vincent said, shaking his head.

Buffy turned and glared at him. "Excuse me, Mr. Sanctimonious ass. If you want to compare evil, I'm more than willing 'cause I know evil. I've even faced Dracula. The Mikaelsons have done evil things—they _aren't_ evil. I know the difference. My first lover was a vampire with a soul. When he lost his soul, he was a true monster. You have no idea what evil can really do," she declared.

"I was married to a woman who became possessed by a great evil and started killing children in magical rituals," Vincent replied. "I think I know evil."

Faith's mouth fell open at his bluntness. She glanced at the bartender, who was ignoring the entire tableau. Cami had either trained her staff exceedingly well, or Klaus had compelled her staff to ignore weird things. Faith bet it was the latter.

"Then you should watch your mouth," Buffy said, not backing down. "True evil doesn't care who they destroy. They mindlessly slaughter without remorse. All the Mikaelsons not only show remorse for their evil deeds, they are capable of love. An evil being is not. Bad mouth them again, I might just decide to beat you senseless." She gave him a final glare and stomped out of the bar.

"I'll catch up," Faith said to her as she left. "We have to take care of that body. My kind of vamps are so much better. They just turn to dust."

Vincent was surprised that she was staying. "Are you going to yell at me, too?" he asked.

"Nah," she said. "I killed the guy. My mess to clean up. B's cleaned up enough of my messes."

Vincent helped her dispose the body. Or rather, he told her where to take the body since she seemed to have no problem throwing the guy over her shoulder.

After they threw the body in an empty crypt, Vincent asked her, "Would the slayer actually beat me senseless?"

"Of course not," Faith said with a grin. "Buffy is incapable of hurting an innocent. It might actually cause a psychotic break if she did!"

Vincent returned her smile. "Well, she was quite serious," he said.

"She may want to beat you, but she wouldn't," Faith said easily. Then she gave him a stern look. "But I would. You hurt Buffy, and I'd beat you senseless and then have Red strip you of your powers."

Vincent nodded. "You're a loyal friend. I hope she is worthy of your devotion," he said.

The implication that Buffy might not be worth it annoyed Faith, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Buffy is the best person I have ever known. She was my friend when no one else was. Even when I betrayed her, she forgave me. She's died twice for this world. There's not a person alive more worthy of my devotion," Faith said, glaring at him. "Imply otherwise again, and that beating she threatened you with will start."

Once again, Vincent found himself on the other side of a slayer's ire. Except this time, he was actually bothered by Faith's words. Maybe he was letting his own body snatching by Finn Mikaelson color all his thoughts. If Buffy could find it in her to look past Elijah's sins and love him, who was Vincent to judge?

***** _Michaelson Compound*****_

It took Marcel a few hours to get any information, but he finally had his guy return. He went to see Elijah to let him know what he found out. Marcel walked into the hallway and found Elijah in front of the bar. Elijah didn't even have to turn around to know he was there.

"Marcellus. Talk to me," Elijah ordered.

Marcel sighed. "Yep. We got a problem," Marcel acknowledged. He crossed to the bar, moving to stand in front of Elijah, so he could pour himself a drink.

Elijah looked up at him, expecting bad news. He arched an eyebrow expectantly.

"My guy stayed on Tristan's tail all day. Followed him to this place called the Candide Royale. He goes in, never comes out. So, he's obviously using it as a way to get to somewhere," Marcel shared. He took a sip of his drink.

"How and where?" Elijah asked.

"The building has hidden passageways leading out the back. Now, bootleggers used them in the '20s to run booze to a secret storehouse on Dauphine, and you'll _never_ guess who just bought that storehouse," Marcel said, pausing for effect. Elijah shook his head once, so Marcel continued. "Kingmaker Land Development, owned by one Lucien Castle. Now, that sure as hell isn't a coincidence."

Elijah was stunned by this information as he brainstormed the implications.

Marcel speculated, "Either they're brokering some kind of truce..."

"Or, they've been working together the whole time," Elijah said.

Marcel nodded in agreement. Willow appeared. "Hey, Marcel. What's going on? Any news on Cami?" she asked. "Buffy is supposed to bring me an item of hers, so I can do a locator spell."

"Davina already did that. She's at Lucien's," Marcel shared. "Something tried to block her, but she kept pushing through and finally had a location."

"Well, I'll pop on over there and get her," Willow said. "Freya! Want to come with me?"

"Let Klaus handle Lucien. He's got experience with him," Elijah advised.

Freya came into the room. "Where are we going?" she asked.

Willow held out her hand and grinned eagerly, not about to follow Elijah's advice. "To rescue Cami. Elijah thinks we should let the men handle it," she said.

Freya laughed and took her hand. Marcel gaped as they disappeared before his eyes. "What?" he exclaimed.

"Willow is like our aunt. She can teleport herself through her magic," Elijah explained.

"Elijah," Klaus said as he came into the compound. Marcel knew that tone.

"I think he's mad," Marcel said.

"If he's knows what I think Aurora probably told him, things might get ugly," Elijah said. "I see you found her. Would you like a drink?"

"A drink? Is that all you have to say?" Klaus asked angrily.

Elijah sighed. "She told you. How convenient, to voice this ancient grievance in the very moment we need to stand united against our enemies," Elijah said, looking at Marcel, who was facing Klaus while Elijah's back was still turned away from him.

"You speak to me of enemies when the greatest traitor of my life stands before me!" Klaus exclaimed.

"Hey," Marcel said, sensing a fight was about to break out. "You know you don't mean that, Klaus. Elijah is your brother. He's always had your back."

Klaus scoffed. "That's what he pretends to do! Now I find out it's all treachery! A pretense to atone for his own sins!"

Elijah put his drink down on the bar, and as soon as he turned to face Klaus, Klaus vamp-speeds toward him, shoving him into the bar and knocking it and all of the bottles and glasses on top of it over. The glass shattered into fragments, and the wooden bar was smashed into pieces as Klaus quickly stood to his feet and kicked Elijah in the chest as he tried to get up. Once Elijah was upright, Klaus punched him hard in the face, but Elijah recovered quickly and grabbed Klaus' shoulders in his hands before headbutting him. Klaus angrily shoved Elijah into one of the balcony's support beams.

Marcel thought about intervening, but he knew he was no match for either of them. When Buffy came into the room, he was relieved.

"What the hell's going on?" she asked Marcel.

Elijah got up and shoved Klaus backward just as hard. Then he punched Klaus in the jaw so hard that he spun and fell to his knees. While Klaus was recovering, Elijah grabbed him by the back of the coat and tossed him into the coffee table, which he smashed as he slid across it. Elijah glared at Klaus as he unbuttons his jacket in preparation for more fighting. Klaus stood to face him and scowled at Elijah.

"What you did to Aurora, to _me_ —you set my course!" Klaus exclaimed.

Buffy thought about pulling them apart. However, Elijah and Rebekah had told them this happened from time to time. She murmured to Marcel. "Why are they fighting?" she asked him.

"I have no idea. Klaus just came in mad. From what I gather, it's probably something Aurora told him," he said.

Elijah words confirmed it as he declared, "I protected you! I protected our _family_. Aurora was the sister of a lunatic, and a _powerful_ lunatic at that! Father was in pursuit. _What_ was I supposed to do, Niklaus? And despite every one of your despicable deeds, _I alone_ have always stood by you!"

"And why is that? _Guilt_ ," Klaus said scornfully.

"Why are you guys fighting?" Buffy asked, growing impatient.

Both men ignored her. Klaus shouted at Elijah, "You _knew_ that your secret betrayal was the cause of everything I became!"

Klaus furiously lunged for Elijah once more and punched him in the face, only for Elijah to immediately swing his right leg and kick Klaus so hard in the chest that he was pushed backward. When Klaus vamp-sped toward him, Elijah held out his arm, keeping Klaus at arm's length, so he could come no closer. However, Klaus simply let his hybrid face and fangs out and bit Elijah on the forearm, causing Elijah to roar in pain.

"AAGH!" Elijah hollered as he clutched at his forearm.

Now Buffy was pissed. She moved quickly and punched Klaus hard in the face, ending the fight. Klaus was knocked off his feet once more. "How dare you behave like a dog, biting at your brother! You should be ashamed of yourself!" she said.

Marcel had yet to see Buffy direct any anger toward Klaus and didn't realize she could manage to hurt Klaus so easily.

Buffy turned to her lover in concern. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Klaus is a werewolf. He purposely bit him so that Elijah would suffer," Marcel explained. "His bite kills us, but it will only make Elijah ill."

Buffy glared at Klaus, who was now on his feet approaching.

"All this blame!" Elijah shouted, his rage still great. "Will you ever look at yourself? I have carried you for centuries, Niklaus. No more! You want a fight? So be it."

"Enough!" Buffy yelled, losing her temper. Her body was vibrating with pent up emotion. Not knowing why they were fighting was making it worse. "You two will stop the fighting and tell me right now what the hell is going on!"

"Why don't you tell her, Elijah? See if Buffy will still love you when she finds out how you went out of your way to destroy my chance of happiness with the woman I love!" Klaus declared.

Buffy glanced at Elijah in confusion. Elijah groaned. Buffy knew so much about him, yet he still had so many secrets she knew nothing of. Would this be the one that would push her away?

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _Review and let me know you still care! Thanks!_


	10. Chapter 10

**I really love reading this chapter, so I hope you do too!**

Chapter 10: Lose an arm, lose a sister

****** _Mikaelson Compound_ ******

Buffy looked at Elijah expectantly. "So spit it out. What did you do to piss off your brother so much?" she asked him.

Elijah grimaced but knew his lover would not be put off. "When Father discovered us, Aurora wanted to come with Niklaus," he shared.

"She loved me more than anyone and would have left her brother to be with me, but for your treachery!" Klaus accused.

"Shut the hell up!" Buffy said angrily. "I will stake the woman myself if you don't shut your pie hole. I want to hear from Elijah."

Klaus bristled at her words but said nothing more. Marcel watched the exchange in fascination, impressed with the power that the slayer seemed to wield over his normally unreasonable sire.

"Speak, Elijah. What did you do that was so awful?" Buffy asked.

"I compelled her to forget her love of Niklaus. Then we compelled them to be us," Elijah said. He glared at his brother. "Before doing that, though, I learned that it was he who killed our mother."

"A fact you never told our siblings. Instead, you acted shocked and dismayed in Mystic Falls when she returned," Klaus said sourly.

"Yes, well, I put aside your treachery for the good of the family. I did not wipe Aurora's love of you out of spite—although you deserved it. I did so because I knew she would lead to your destruction and the destruction of our family," Elijah said coldly. "Unlike you, our vows mean something to me!" Holding onto his hurt forearm, he turned and quit the room.

Buffy walked up to Klaus. "Look, I can't begin to understand all the dynamics between you guys since you've literally had centuries to fight and make-up," Buffy said. "But I know that no one on this earth loves you like Elijah and Rebekah. You've done a lot of crappy things to both—some would say unforgiveable. You've killed or had killed more than one lover of Elijah's and Rebekah's, so I think it's more than a little hypocritical of you now to get this pissed over something he did nearly a _thousand years_ ago!"

Klaus gave her a stubborn look. "What do you expect me to do?" he asked.

"Do you still love this vampire Aurora?" Buffy asked.

Klaus hesitated. "No, but I did once—very much. Maybe if I'd had love all these years my life would be different. _I'd_ be different," he said.

Buffy reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'm glad you are exactly the way you are. Nothing like a good redemption story," she said, flashing him a warm smile. "Cami is tons better than any crazy vampire anyway."

Klaus winced. "I let Aurora side track me. I did not locate Cami," he admitted. "I do know, though, Aurora knows more than she told me. I can get her to tell me what her brother is up to, but I can't focus on Cami at the same time."

"We'll find her," Buffy said confidently. "But first you will give your brother your blood as a way of apology."

Glaring, Klaus shook his head. "No. He should suffer a bit," he said.

Buffy let his hand go and put hers on her hips and gave him a cold look. "If he suffers a moment, I will take your blood by force," she warned.

Klaus scoffed. "Like you could," he said.

Faith, who had come into the scene late, had been eavesdropping in the corner, now spoke. "I'd be glad to give her a hand," she offered.

"Thanks, Faith, but I can handle Klaus," Buffy said, flashing her a smile.

Marcel grinned. He was liking this slayer more and more.

"Fine," Klaus bit out. He leaned down and grabbed a tumbler that was not shattered and picked it up. After bleeding into it, he handed it to Buffy, who took it to Elijah.

"I'm going to go find some trouble," Faith said. "Try to not pick any more fights with your siblings. There's enough bad guys gunning for you without you wasting time fighting inside your home."

Marcel watched the sexy slayer leave and started laughing. "Oh, man, Klaus. You've got hooks in you I couldn't begin to understand until I saw it for myself," Marcel said.

"Don't you have something to do? Somewhere to be?" Klaus said pointedly.

"Yea, I do, but I wouldn't have missed this show for anything!" Marcel exclaimed.

"My life is not a show for you to be amused by," Klaus said.

"Buffy isn't like anyone you've ever met, is she?" Marcel asked.

"No, she is not," Klaus admitted. If Buffy had shown him any contempt or even disdain, he could dismiss her. But how was he to respond to her love? "She loves me."

"Now don't get crazy," Marcel said. "She loves your brother."

"I know," Klaus said. "But she loves me like she would a brother. It's real. She doesn't judge me or hold my past against me. Instead, she accepts me for who I am."

Marcel nodded in understanding. "It's hard to reject that kind of acceptance," he said. "Try not to screw it up. I'll have my boys looking for signs of Lucien and Cami." Klaus nodded, grateful.

Then Marcel, too, left him. Klaus realized that although he needed to find Cami and set Aurora and Elijah aside, Aurora would give him the most information. Unlike Lucian, she would tell him the truth because she still loved him, so he would use that to his advantage.

Upstairs, Elijah accepted the blood from Buffy. "I am sorry you had to witness that," he said.

Buffy shrugged. "Families fight. I put Faith in a coma once. She stole my body and slept with my boyfriend. We got passed it," she said. "You guys will get through this. Always and forever, remember?" She hugged her boyfriend, putting her head on his chest.

Elijah held her a moment. Then he pulled her back, so he could look at her. "You know, my love, I'd much rather think of always and forever with you," he told her.

Buffy grinned. "I'm not going anywhere," she said.

Elijah stared at her a long moment in silence, coming to a decision. "Marry me, Buffy. After this sire line business is settled, I want you to marry me and be my wife. I want everyone to know that you and I are family always and forever," he said.

Surprised, Buffy's mouth fell open as he caught her completely off guard. "You want us to get married? Seriously?" she asked.

"Why are you surprised? We've discussed this a bit," he reminded her. "I love you and you love me. You even love my insufferable brother."

"That's true," Buffy said with a smirk.

"So what is your answer? Would you agree to become Buffy Anne Mikaelson?" he asked.

"Don't you think this is way too soon? We've not even been together six months," she pointed out.

"I've lived for centuries, and I know my own mind," he said. "I know you are the only woman I want to spend eternity with."

Buffy gazed into his eyes, trying to decide if he really meant it, but she only saw love in his eyes.

"You're right. I've never been this happy with anyone, and I would be very honored to be your wife," she said, her heart beating at the very surreal moment. She flashed him a blinding smile. "But it will be Summers-Mikaelson."

"As long as you're mine, I do not care about the name," he said, his arms still holding her.

Buffy laughed. "You so do," she said knowingly. Although he had adjusted well to modern times, there were some things he clung to.

Smiling, he moved to kiss her. Together they would face any who opposed them. Not even Niklaus could spoil this moment for him.

****** _Faith and Willow*****_

The sun had gone by the time Faith got back into town. She called Willow and was meeting up with her at some club called Lenore's. She waved at Willow, who was chatting with Vincent.

"Faith, we went to Lucien's penthouse, and Cami wasn't there," Willow said. "If Lucien took her, he's got a witch hiding her. I couldn't get a ping."

"We'll find her," she said. "You missed all the fun. I got to the Mikaelson's and Klaus and Elijah wrecked the place fighting. Buffy was pissed 'cause Klaus bit Elijah."

"Really? Wow. What were they fighting about?" Willow asked.

"The past and that girl, Rebekah's siree," Faith said.

"Aurora?" Willow said.

"Those two may fight, but they always make up," Vincent said.

"Family fights," Willow said with a nod.

"Very true. But I was thinking, we could entertain ourselves by killing some of those pesky Strix still in town?" Faith said eagerly. "Witch-man here can point out which are strangers and, therefore, Strixes!"

Willow glanced at Vincent, who smiled. "You want to kill vampires?" he asked.

"If you wanna make sure, and I mean be honest, that I'm not killing any friendlies," she said, giving him a look.

Vincent held up his hands. "Fine. I'll play nice. I respect Marcel. I wouldn't want to make an enemy out of him," he said.

"Okay, I'm up for some slayage. Freya is getting the last bit of stuff ready to bring Kol back," Willow said.

"Let's go have some fun!" Faith said as she led them inside the club.

"You think Strix are in here?" Willow asked, laughing.

"Maybe. Maybe not, but I figure a dance and a drink is a good way to start the night!" she said.

Vincent had a feeling that his night was about to get very exciting.

 _*****Lucien's*****_

Cami awoke on the couch in Lucien's living room, and she stretched, moaning quietly as she did so. She didn't realize where she was until she opened her eyes and looked around in alarm as she remembered what happened the previous night. Scared, she jumped to her feet in an attempt to flee when she noticed dozens of white file boxes that were stacked around the room, all of which were sealed with red tape. Cami lifted the lid of one of the boxes and realized they were evidence boxes full of all the dark objects and files from her Uncle Kieran's secret apartment. Just then, Lucien walked into the room with a mimosa in his hand.

Lucien smiled at her. "I took the liberty of removing your handcuffs," he told her.

Cami glared at him, annoyed at herself for being afraid. He was a psychopath, however, so she kept the rude comment she had prepared to herself.

"Unless you're the type that _likes_ to be restrained," he said with a smirk as he held out a glass of champagne and orange juice.

"Please, take it. Consider it an apology for the rough start to our day. I see no reason we cannot begin anew!" he told her as she didn't make a move to grab the glass.

Cami glared at him. "I only drink with friends, and, unless this isn't abundantly clear, I don't like you," she told him.

Lucien sighed in resignation. "Fair enough. Later on, I hope you'll remember this all could have gone so much easier," he said. He called out. "Detective Kinney, come in and start cutting up the _mirepoix._ _"_

At this request, a scared and confused Detective Kinney walked into the room with a tray of vegetables, and Cami looked at Lucien with a mix of horror and fury.

Cami looked at him in disgust and horror. "You _compelled_ him?" she asked.

"What the hell is going on?" Kinney asked, looking between the two.

"Why don't you focus on the cutting? We don't want you to lose any fingers while we talk," he ordered.

He turned back to Cami. "Did you know that Will's mother's side is full of chefs? He's going to make us his grandmother's grillades and grits! I took the liberty of texting your nosy friend Vincent on your behalf. After leaving police care without incident, he believes you have a date with _The Real Housewives_ at home in your PJs," he told her.

"You knocked him out and left him when you grabbed me. How is he here now? Surely, Vincent isn't buying any of the bullshit you're selling," she said.

"I did leave him, knowing Klaus would find him and be terrified on your behalf," Lucien said, grinning. "But I decided to snatch him and bring him in on all the fun."

"What the hell kind of point are you trying to make?" Cami asked.

Lucien flashed her an annoyed look. Then he looked at Kinney. "Detective, do me a favor—throw your blade at her pretty face," he ordered.

Kinney, unable to resist due to Lucien's compulsion, threw the knife in a perfect toss toward Cami's face, which Lucien caught just one second before it hit Cami's face. Cami let out a deep exhale of relief, and Kinney looked absolutely horrified at what he had just done.

"Now that I have your attention, my point is simple. I'm looking for a particular dark object—a small bronze medallion with Runic markings. Since you're on vervain, I'm going to ask _nicely_ that you help me find it. Should you refuse, the parlor tricks will get increasingly _less_ fun," he warned. He handed the knife back to Kinney, who was still gaping in horror about nearly killing Cami.

"Carry on!" he said.

Cami, visibly furious, scowled at Lucien as she started reluctantly looking through the boxes.

***** _Mikaelson's Compound*****_

After spending some valuable time making love to his fiancée, her stomach rumbling spoke loudly.

"Looks like we need to get some food into you," Elijah said in amusement.

"I'll go down to the kitchen and make us some scrambled eggs," she said.

"For dinner?" Elijah asked.

"Hey, eggs are always good," Buffy insisted as she slipped on her clothes. "Then we have to call Dawn and Xander. Oh, and Giles. He can give me away."

"Do you want to be married here in New Orleans?" Elijah asked her.

"This is your home," Buffy said. "Mine is a sinkhole. All the other places I've lived haven't been home. Where my friends have been has been home, and now this is."

Elijah didn't know how he'd gotten so lucky, but he felt incredibly happy. The turmoil of the sireline wars seemed far away as he stared at the woman he loved so completely. With her, he didn't need to be perfect. The blood was starting to fade from his hands.

They went downstairs, and he winced at the mess he and Klaus made. "I'll start cleaning up here," he said.

He made a little headway when some of Klaus' sketches distracted him. His sister Freya came him, tsking at the mess. "Must you guys always destroy the house when you bicker?" she asked as she set right a chair. "What's wrong? You seem more annoyed than usual."

"It's Aurora. Her influence frightens me. And yet, our hideously-deluded brother seems to think that she may be the key to ending this wretched prophecy," he said, throwing down the sketch.

Freya frowned, worried. "If she's aligned with her brother, what chance does Nik have?" she wondered.

 _"None._ And still, Niklaus believes that she can be swayed. Although... his perspective of family loyalty is schizophrenic at best," Elijah said.

"Well, I don't get why Lucien and Tristan are working together. Aren't their sirelines direct enemies?" she asked.

Elijah gave Freya a sheepish look, visibly embarrassed about what he needed to tell her. "Well, their mutual lack of goodwill toward our family might not be _entirely_ unjustified," he admitted.

He shared a bit more of their history. "So, as we found respite in the sleepy, yet charming vineyards of Tuscany, Father hunted the decoy Mikaelson children to the far-reaches of Europe for the better part of a century. _Then_ , we were inconveniently daggered. The compulsion was broken. Here we are."

Freya shook her head. "You guys don't do anything in half measure, do you?" she asked.

"No, they do not," Buffy said as she came in carrying two plates. "Did you want some eggs? I have extra in the kitchen."

"No, thanks," she said, smiling at the slayer. Buffy's presence had strongly impacted her brother's lives—for the better.

"Did your brother tell you our good news?" Buffy asked excitedly.

Freya gave him an inquisitive look. "No, only bad news," she said.

Elijah felt a flash of guilt. "I'm sorry, my love. I got distracted with family history," he admitted.

"I missed a lot," Freya said.

"I asked Buffy to marry me, and she said yes," Elijah shared.

Freya's eyes widened. "Really? That's so wonderful! Where's Rebekah? We have to tell her the good news," she said.

"I have not seen her," Elijah said, frowning. "She has been gone a while. I do not like her vulnerability in the human body."

"She is never helpless. In the human body, she has magic," Freya pointed out.

"She is not _you_ , sister. She has not your power, experience, or control," Elijah countered.

"After we eat, we can go look for her," Buffy said, shoveling food into her mouth.

"We wouldn't want to get in the way of a slayer and her food," Elijah teased.

"Not if you're smart," Buffy said with a wink.

Freya laughed. "I'm so glad you're going to stick with us," she said.

"Like glue," Buffy said.

Elijah smiled and took a bite of the eggs. Freya's phone rang, and she answered it. "Where have you been?" Elijah and Buffy looked up, waiting. When Freya hung up, she said, "That was Rebekah. She has a lead on an ingredient I need for the resurrection spell. I'm going to head to St. Louis Cathedral."

"We'll catch up," Buffy said.

Freya got up and hugged Buffy. "Welcome to the family, little sister," she said.

Buffy grinned. "Thanks!" she said.

When Freya left, Buffy said, "One down and two more to go. Three if we get Kol back."

"And about 100 or so of your closest friends," Elijah said dryly. Buffy's list of friends was impressive.

****** _A Bit Later*******_

Faith, Willow, and Vincent spent an hour dancing and drinking at the first club. Vincent found the too-sexy slayer more than a little mesmerizing. She danced with Willow and him. Then several other guys. Finally, she said, "No action here. Let's bounce."

Bemused, Vincent followed her out of the club. They walked a block before Vincent sensed something. "There," he said, pointing to two men who were eying them across the street.

"Strix?" Willow asked.

"I believe so," Vincent said. "I know they're vampires, and I don't recognize them."

"Let's go say hi," Faith said, flashing a grin.

She led the way. The two men were standing in front of an alley entrance, having just come out of a restaurant on the corner. "Yo. Are you two Strix?" she asked.

"Why do you ask? We do not know you," the taller black-haired man answered.

"That's the witch who's friends with Klaus," the blonde said.

"I hope you're not talking about me," Vincent said. "'Cause I'm definitely no friend of Klaus."

"They're probably talking about me," Willow said. "I'm his friend, and we don't like you guys in town causing problems."

"We're just standing here," one of them said.

"I think we should kill one and let the other go warn his friends what'll happen if they stay in town," Willow said with a smirk.

"Kill just one? That's not any fun!" Faith said.

The younger blonder one charged them. However, Willow raised her hand. "Thicken," she said.

He hit an invisible barrier.

Vincent smiled. "Impressive," he said.

"I can take him," Faith said. "Hold the other in place, so he doesn't run off until he sees his friend dying by a slayer's hand."

Willow threw a band around the taller vamp before he could react. The other got off the ground and charged Faith, who exchanged blows. "Wow! He's fast," she said, ducking a hit but not able to duck the kick.

"Do you need a hand?" Vincent asked.

Faith snorted. "No, thanks," she said. "Slayer here. These vamps may be stronger than normal fare, but they're still just vamps." She hit the guy hard in the face and rammed her stake hard in his chest. As he turned gray, she grinned. "See. No problemo."

"You will regret that!" The remaining vampire warned.

"Actually, I won't. Not even a little," Faith said with a grin.

"You better run along and tell your master what will happen if we see anymore of you guys in town, " Willow said, releasing him.

The vampire was clearly enraged, but he was no fool. He blurred away.

Faith grinned at Vincent. "That was fun. Let's see if we can find any more!"

"Works for me," Vincent said, enjoying this slayer very much.

Willow pulled out her phone and looked at it. "I'm going to have to let you have fun without me. Freya needs me. We're going to get Kol back very soon," she said.

"Kol?" Faith asked.

"Great. Another Mikaelson," Vincent said sourly. "Only Davina will be happy about that."

"We should loop her in. Where's she been? I've not seen her lately," Willow asked.

"She's been dealing with the covens. There's been some animosity since she's been seen paling around with Mikaelsons," Vincent said.

"Those covens better play nice before they piss me off," Willow said. "They won't like me when I'm angry." She waved goodbye and left.

"Red's not kidding, you know," Faith said as they walked in the opposite direction. "She's not someone you want to piss off. Once she got so mad, she skinned a guy alive and almost destroyed the world. Of course, she was Dark Willow and grieving for her dead lover at the time. The guy she killed shot Tara, her girlfriend. But still—I wouldn't want to piss her off. Even Buffy treads lightly with her. Only Xander is safe from her wrath."

Vincent frowned, troubled by what he heard. That's all they needed—an all-powerful witch friends with Klaus Mikaelson.

***** _St. Louis Cathedral*****_

At St. Louis Cathedral, Freya was preparing to perform yet another spell as an anxious Elijah paced around in front of the table where she was working.

"Where's Rebekah? She should be here by now," Elijah said.

"I'm sure she's on her way. She is procuring things we need for the spell," Freya said. "Where is Buffy?"

"She is out searching for Cami. She says that Klaus might get distracted by Aurora and didn't want to let any more time go by. She was going to go to his penthouse, I believe," Elijah said.

"Surely, Nik has already been there?" Freya said.

"I do not know. He hasn't called," Elijah said. Then his phone rang, so he pulled it out to check it. "It's Marcellus."

Elijah answered the phone with an annoyed tone. Marcel was at St. Anne's church, standing outside the room where Hayley was pacing around an unconscious body.

"Your timing is perfectly _horrendous_ ," Elijah said.

"Yeah? Well, I need your help. Hayley caught one of Tristan's guys tailing her. Knocked him out, brought him to the gym for a little Q & A. Problem is, it's Shen Min, one of Tristan's guys".

Elijah's expression turned from annoyance to legitimate concern as he spun on his heel, turning his back to Freya. When he replied to Marcel, his tone is steely-cold. "Marcellus, do I need to remind you that Shen Min was known as "the Red Sorrow" _before_ he was a vampire? You execute him _immediately_!" he ordered.

Worry for Haley now filled him. She was impetuous and could easily overestimate her abilities to handle Shen Min.

"Elijah," Freya said, sensing there was something wrong.

"I will return as soon as I am able," Elijah said. He blurred away.

***** _Mikaelsons'*****_

Klaus brought Aurora to the compound, where they were walking through the front gate and into the courtyard. He figured with everyone else out, it would be a good opportunity to build a bridge with his former lover.

Aurora looked at the room, which was still trashed from Klaus and Elijah's violent argument earlier and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "So is this your family home?"

Smirking, Klaus replied, "Please forgive the detritus as my brother and I had a slight disagreement. Over you, as a matter of fact."

"Oh! A duel in my honor. How chivalrous. But, I'm afraid if this is what you wish to show me, it's—"

Klaus interrupted her before she could continue. "If you want to know what's been in my heart for the past few centuries, come with me," he told her. Then he led her up the stairs and into his art studio, where he pushed a dresser out of the way and traced his hand over the brick wall behind it. Aurora stood behind him, watching with a confused expression.

"Life is like a city—built in layers. No matter what new experiences come along, the foundation remains," he told her. Then he punched the wall with such extreme force that his fist goes through the brick, crumbling the wall into pieces until he finally revealed a beautifully painted portrait of Aurora from the early 11th century.

Aurora gasped in shock, visibly overwhelmed by this revelation. "What is this?" she asked.

"Two hundred years ago, it was my art studio. It became a tomb for my memory of you," he revealed. He turned toward her, visibly uncomfortable with the vulnerability he was showing her. "I thought if I painted what haunted me, I could free myself of you forever. In all my years, I have never been more wrong about anything."

Aurora, overwhelmed with emotion, kisses him passionately.

***** _Elsewhere in Town******_

Not too far from home, Rebekah was procuring something from her list when, it's pulled out of her hand. "Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, looking up. She was stopped by a vampire she didn't know. "Give that back."

"Sorry. I have orders," the man said.

Before Rebekah can reply, the vampire motioned to his companion, who was behind Rebekah. Since she was in her human form, she did not have the hearing her original body would have had, and she didn't have any warning as the vampire broke her neck.

 _******Back at Lucien's_ ******

Detective Kinney was at the sink, where he has presumably been compelled to wash all the dishes from the lunch he made for Lucien. Cami, looking tense and afraid, was standing nearby as Lucien walked toward Kinney.

Lucien was smiling, obviously pleased with himself. "He cooks and he cleans. He's a real keeper, this one," he said.

Kinney glared at Lucien furiously, who wasn't the least bit offended by it. It was clear that he hated what was being done against his will, but there was nothing Cami could do to help him. It enraged her that a good man was being controlled so easily by that monster.

Smirking, Lucien added, "Aw, sadly it was not meant to be. Now, you will go and tell your superiors you arrested the wrong suspect.

"You can compel me all you want. I'll find you," Kinney said coldly.

Lucien sighed. "No. You won't," he informed him. Then he grabbed him by the throat and stared into his eyes as he compelled him to comply. "Instead, you'll keep up this wretched failure that is your life. You'll continue with this pitiful investigation, never quite connecting the dots or making any progress whatsoever. After a time, you'll grow to hate yourself for your mediocre talents. All the while. knowing there are things lurking in the shadows, and in the face of these, you are nothing."

Lucien pats Will's face in a condescending gesture, and Cami, looking at them hopelessly, began to plead with him. "Don't do this!" she begged, sickened by the compulsion.

Lucien turned to her and rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't look so chagrined, eh? Once the vervain's out of your system, I'll compel you to forget, as well. But like him, I will leave you with one lesson—against vampires, humans always lose."

Cami gulped nervously, her eyes wide with fear.

The front door broke open. Cami sagged in relief to see Buffy there. "There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere. Took me a bit to find out that Lucien had more than one place in town," she said as she came in. She pulled out her scythe. "I'm not going to let you toy anymore with Klaus or his siblings. I'm just going to put you down like the dog you are."

Lucien grimaced, not ready to deal with the slayer, who he knew only bits and pieces about. However, all reports stated that she was the strongest of her kind, unrelenting and possibly immortal. Before he could decide to flee, Buffy charged him, swinging her blade. He barely managed to duck in time.

"Kick his ass!" Cami yelled.

Lucien managed to kick her away, but she swung her blade, slicing off his arm. He screamed in rage and agony. As he fell to his knees, she prepared to take his head next. However, something stayed her hand. She pushed against the force.

"What's wrong?" Cami asked.

"I don't know. There's something here keeping me from taking his head," she said.

Lucien knew he had only a moment to flee, so he did, clutching his arm-hole as the blood flowed out of him.

"Damn it!" Buffy fumed.

Cami ran to her, hugging her. "Thank you!" she said.

"Sorry, it took us this long," Buffy said. "He obviously has witches helping him because not even Willow could find a trace of you."

"Who's your friend?" Detective Kinney asked.

"This is Buffy," Cami said. "Buffy, this is Detective Will Kinney. He had arrested me for those murders that Lucien was committing."

"Obviously, I was wrong about that. Sorry," he said. "I'll go to the precinct and clear everything up."

"I'll stop by later with some vervain. If you drink it, no vampire can compel you," Cami told him. He nodded and left.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked her friend, checking her over.

"He didn't hurt me, but he compelled Will in a truly awful manner. I'm going to have to get Klaus to fix him before he starts on the vervain," Cami said.

"Let's get out of here," Buffy said. She reached down and picked up the arm. "I'm taking my trophy with me."

"Don't you think people will freak?" Cami said, smiling.

Buffy reached over to the curtain and ripped it off the wall, and then she wrapped the bloody appendage in its thick material. "There. No problem," she said with a cheeky grin.

Chuckling, Cami followed her out the door.

 _*****St. Anne's Church*****_

At St. Anne's Church, Hayley was in the room outside the gym, where she was looking at photos of Hope on her phone. After a moment, Elijah approached her, and she looked up at him with a rueful smile. "There was a time when all I wanted was to find my family. It consumed me. And then, once I did, as crazy as it is, all I wanted was a home. And New Orleans is that home. But the Strix are trying to take that, aren't they?" she asked. The Strix they had captured had almost killed her before Elijah had arrived and ended the threat.

Elijah replied with a determined expression. "No. We won't let them." He had come in, ensuring that their captive did them no harm. Now, he knew he needed to speak to Hayley about Buffy. "I need to tell you something."

Hayley gave him an expectant look. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I asked Buffy to marry me, and she said yes," he said, not beating around the bush.

Hayley allowed the pain of the news to hit her, and then she pushed it down. She was happy with Jackson. Elijah was a dream that could never be. His darkness would never fit her the way it fit the slayer, and they both knew that. It took her a moment, but she was able to smile and say quite honestly, "I am happy for you, Elijah."

"Really?" he asked, not wanting to alienate the first woman he'd loved in centuries. She was the mother of his niece also.

"Really," she said. "Buffy is quite a girl and a welcome addition to the family." She hugged him.

Elijah and Hayley were distracted from their conversation by the sound of footsteps, and a moment later, Marcel and Freya walk into the room to join them.

"Guys, we have a problem," Marcel announced.

Elijah realized who was missing from their trio and immediately becomes worried. "Where is Rebekah?"

Freya looked distraught as she replied, "We need to call Klaus."

 _*****Mikaelson's Compound******_

Klaus smiled down at the naked backside of Aurora as she slept after a very pleasant interlude with him. Some attractions never die. Although he knew she was deadly and mad, he couldn't help but be attracted to the madness under the beauty. Then his phone rang, disturbing his moment of peace. He grabbed it before he disturbs her. Seeing it was Elijah, he got up and stepped away.

Klaus stood perfectly still with his back to Aurora as he listened on his phone to what his siblings have to say about Rebekah. He slowly pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up just as Aurora awakened. She sat up with a smile in Klaus' bed.

"What are you doing over there? Come closer," she beckoned.

Klaus gave her a cold look. "I think it's best you remain out of arm's reach," he said.

Aurora sighed in annoyance when she realized he had figured out what was going on. "So I take it you've heard about the busy day everyone's had. Let me take away that scowl."

Klaus turned toward her with an unamused expression—play time was over.

"I'll tell you everything I know," she assured him.

Klaus growled. "I suggest you speak quickly!"

"There is a weapon in play—a dangerous, cursed device called the Serratura. It is capable of producing an unbreakable boundary. My brother and Lucien want to use it to lock you and your siblings away forever so that no one may harm you. But to do so, they need all three of you in one place.

"Which is why they sent Strix to collect my sister," he said knowingly.

"But, not to worry, my love. I took measures to ensure that Rebekah isn't held by those nasty Strix for long," she assured him.

He eyed her warily. "What measures?" he asked.

"While they did acquire Rebekah's body, I wasn't about to let them keep it! So, I enacted a plan of my own. Unbeknownst to my brother, two of the men sent to retrieve her were from my sireline—loyal to me. And on my behalf, they procured your sister's body. So, don't worry, my love—Rebekah is perfectly safe. You have my word," she assured him. Then she gave him a seductive smile as she patted the empty spot on the bed. "Now... Come back to bed."

Klaus stared at her in disbelief. This lunatic that he'd foolishly bedded kidnapped his sister after the Strix killed her human body. Since he was the only one alive that had ever succeeded in immobilizing his fierce baby sister, he feared for well-being.

***** _To Be Continued******_

 _Lots of stuff in this chapter, but review and let me know how you like it. Thanks so much!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Some dialogue taken directly from the episode.**

Chapter 11: Ultimatums

 _*****Same Night******_

Cami insisted that she wanted to go home and shower because she felt dirty after spending so much time with the psychopath. Buffy didn't like leaving her alone, but Cami was convinced that Lucien had gotten what he wanted—some dark object from her uncle's collection.

She called Faith. "Yo, B. What's up?" Faith asked.

"Where are you?" Buffy asked.

"At a club with Vincent. We're trolling for Strix," Faith said. "I've killed three already tonight!"

"I got an arm off of Lucien," Buffy said. "He kidnapped Cami."

"Nice! So you found Cami? Vincent got these crazy texts from her. We weren't sure what was going on," Faith said.

"Lucien probably sent them. He most definitely had her," Buffy said. "I'm taking my trophy home to show Elijah."

"Can vamps grow back their arms?" Faith asked.

"I don't know. Probably," Buffy said. "They heal fast—the Mikaelson kind especially."

"How do we not know this for sure?" Faith asked in bemusement.

"Guess we'll find out," Buffy said with a snicker. Her phone beeped, indicating another call. She looked. "Elijah's calling, so I'll catch you later. Don't break the witch. Cami is very fond of him."

"Don't worry, B. It'll be the good kind of hurt," Faith said, smirking at Vincent, who was eying her warily.

"Where are you?" Elijah asked Buffy.

"On my way home. I got a gift for you," Buffy said.

"We're trying to locate Rebekah. We think she's been taken," Elijah told her. "Be careful."

"I always am," Buffy said. "I'll see you soon." She hung up, wondering if she needed to put Willow on alert and sent out a text.

******* _St. Louis Cathedral*******_

Elijah, Marcel, and Hayley were at the attic of ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL meeting with Freya, who had lit dozens of white candles in preparation for more spell work, as the four discuss what they have learned in the last day or so.

"So, where is Klaus?" Hayley asked.

Freya, who was leaning against the table and looking exhausted, sighed. "When I told him about Rebekah, he said he'd pursue another lead," she shared.

Elijah grabbed Freya's athame and used it to slice open his palm, so he could bleed into a bronze bowl on the table, which was on top of a large, pristine paper map that covered the entire table top. "Forget Niklaus." He took out his handkerchief, which he used to clean up his hands. He then handed the bowl to Freya. "You will find her."

Marcel looked at Freya nervously. "Now, you sure you got enough ju-ju for a world-wide locator spell?"

"She's my family. I won't lose her," Freya said with determination. She took a deep breath before putting her hands around the rim of the bowl of blood and beginning the spell. "Le six ce strul no cruv. Le six ce strul no cruv."

Freya handed the bowl to Elijah, who joined her, Hayley, and Marcel in watching the map hopefully. Freya focused all of her energy on concentrating on Rebekah, but the blood just spread out until it is covering the entire map. "Damnit!" she yelled in frustration

Elijah looked at the others in alarm, while Freya, Hayley, and Marcel look disappointed.

"Well, so much for witch-GPS," Hayley said.

"I assumed they'd cloaked her. I didn't expect a spell this strong," Freya said in frustration.

"No doubt conjured by the very witch who lured Rebekah into this trap," Elijah remarked.

"Where's Willow?" Hayley asked. "Can't she pretty much do whatever she wants?"

"She is working on the Kol spell," Freya said. "If I can't figure out where Rebecca's body is, I'll call her."

"The Strix trust me. If they know where Rebekah is, I can find her," Marcel said.

"There's no time. You need to stop Davina from activating Lucien and Tristan's weapon," Elijah told him. They had concluded that Davina would be the one most likely to be used now that Lucien's witch was dead.

"We need to find Rebekah!" Marcel insisted.

"Marcel, I will not rest until my sister is found," Elijah assured him with a pointed look.

Marcel paused for a moment before sighing and conceding to him with a reluctant nod. "All right. I'll handle Davina," he said in resignation. Then he turned and left the attic.

"Well, in the meantime, please tell me that we're gonna kill someone?" Hayley asked Elijah.

"Oh, we're going to kill many someones," he assured her. "But first—if we are to start a war, let us determine where allegiances lie." Elijah turned without another word and left the cathedral.

***** _MIKAELSON COMPOUND_ ******

When Elijah got into his courtyard, he began to loudly call out for Klaus as soon as he entered the courtyard. "Niklaus! Niklaus!" he called out.

Just then, Klaus appeared on the balcony behind him, looking unamused. "You shout loud enough to wake the dead!" Klaus said.

"Can't pick up your phone? Your sister is missing," Elijah said in annoyance.

Before Klaus could reply, Aurora came out onto the balcony in Klaus' button-down shirt. Klaus immediately sighed in embarrassment as Aurora addressed Elijah cheerfully. "Well... She's not exactly missing. And, as long as everyone behaves themselves, you can trust me to tell you where she is," she informed them.

Klaus smiled a tiny smile at Elijah in hopes that he would understand that he had a plan, but Elijah just stared at him, clearly appalled by Aurora's presence. Aurora's fake-nice tone of voice disappeared and was replaced by a more sarcastic one. "Hello, Elijah," she said.

Elijah glared at her. "Give me my sister. Or perhaps I can pay a little visit to your brother, Tristan," he threatened.

"Elijah, please. Aurora and I have come to an agreement," Klaus said as he placed and arm around her.

"Oh, my goddess! I think I just threw up in my mouth!" Willow exclaimed, stepping into the light, Buffy by her side.

"You throw up. I'm going to slice off another arm," Buffy said, holding up her wrapped arm.

"Behave," Klaus murmured to Aurora. "These women are more deadly than they appear."

Aurora gave Klaus a puzzled look, sensing his sudden nervousness. She decided to ignore the women and focused on Elijah. "Yes, Nik and I find now that your vile act of compulsion has been revealed, there's really no reason why we can't pick up where we left off a thousand years ago," she told him.

Klaus pulled Arora closer to him so that their faces are only inches apart. "Go on, love. I need to have a word with my brother," he told her.

Aurora smiled and nuzzled her nose in his neck before she stepped away.

Willow held up her hand. "I don't think so," she said, thickening the air in front of Aurora, holding her in place.

"Leave her be," Klaus told her, glaring down at the redheaded witch.

"No, she won't," Buffy said firmly. "I'm not sure what dumb idea is in your lame brain, but let me tell you, plans change." She waved the arm.

"Whose arm is that?" Elijah asked in amusement.

"Lucien's," Buffy said with a proud smirk. "He had Cami, and I was going to kill the slimy bastard. He took off, though, before my scythe could take his head."

Klaus wasn't sure how he felt about that. On one hand, the man who terrorized Cami was duly punished. On the other hand, Lucien was _his_ to punish.

"Release her," Klaus said, gesturing to Aurora.

"If this crazy vampire knows where Rebekah is, she better tell us now," Buffy said. "I'll start slicing off her parts until she tells me."

Aurora gave the slayer a concerned look, reaching out to grab Klaus' hand. "I saved Rebekah, going behind the back of my very own brother, and this is the thanks I get?" she protested.

"How about you allow Aurora to get dressed, and we'll discuss this like civilized individuals?" Klaus suggested, giving the two women below a pointed look.

Buffy glanced at Willow and shrugged. "Fine. If she tries to run off, I'll find her," Willow said.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Aurora said in offense.

Buffy threw Lucian's arm so hard that Aurora ducked her head as it flew over her, hitting the wall behind her with a loud thud. "You should be," Buffy said with a smirk.

The wall holding her in place disappeared, and Aurora went to Klaus' room to dress. Klaus jumped down to stand in front of Elijah and the ladies.

"Am I to assume that you've gone completely mad?" Elijah asked his brother.

"You see madness, I see method!" Klaus said smugly.

Elijah rolled his eyes. "And that method would be what, Niklaus? To fornicate with the she-devil who took our sister?"

"Yea, talk about standards," Buffy said, tsking in disapproval.

"My brother obviously has none," Elijah said.

"To be clear, the Strix took our sister. Aurora simply hijacked her. I will get Rebekah back. Trust me. Keeping Aurora close garners the goodwill we need," Klaus stated.

Elijah considered it. "Well, it is a bold—if lecherous—plan. Will you employ the same tactic when it comes time to retrieve the medallion from Lucien and Tristan?"

Klaus smirked. "They're not really my type," he replied. "There must be another way."

"There's always another way," Willow said.

"Give me five minutes with her, and I'll find out where Rebekah is," Buffy said, a determined glint in her eyes.

"Aurora does not deserve your brutality, Buffy," Klaus said, frowning in disapproval.

"She took your sister and is playing a game with her! She deserves a little bit of brutality!" Buffy insisted.

"She will not harm Rebekah," Klaus said confidently.

"Aurora will _always_ protect Tristan... And, given that he and Lucien are aligned, the three of them together have a distinct advantage on us," Elijah said.

"Go on," Klaus encouraged when he paused, thinking. "I like where I think you're going with this."

Elijah suddenly got an idea. "Unless we break that advantage," he said.

"Break it how?" Buffy asked.

"It's Thanksgiving in a few days. Let's invite them for a friendly meal, systematically turn them against one another, and then devastate their pitiful alliance!" Elijah suggested.

Klaus grinned, liking the idea. Buffy, however, did not.

"No way in hell you're turning my second favorite holiday into a political game," Buffy said. "I want to have an engagement party on Thanksgiving."

"Engagement?" Klaus asked.

"That's right. We've not told you yet," Buffy said, reaching for Elijah's hand and holding up her left. Elijah had given her a very large diamond ring surrounded by tiny red rubies. "Elijah asked me to marry him."

Klaus was truly surprised as he glanced between the two.

"I would have told you, brother, sooner, but we have not had an opportunity to speak," Elijah said in way of apology.

Klaus moved to embrace Buffy. "Now you will truly be our sister," Klaus said, happy at the news. Now he will have an army of slayers at his beck and call! No one will withstand the Mikaelsons—not for long.

"I want a party, and I am not wasting Thanksgiving on your political maneuvering," Buffy insisted, crossing her arms. "Willow will get Aurora to tell us where your sister is, and if she can't I will."

Klaus looked at Elijah with an arched eyebrow. "A party to announce our engagement would be lovely," Elijah agreed.

"I don't see how we can't combine the two. Let our wayward sire lines know just how formidable Buffy really is," Klaus said with a smirk.

"I'm not letting my girls be fodder for your vampire vendetta," Buffy said, glaring. "We can take care of these dweebs before Thursday. We got three days."

"Three days is more than enough time," Klaus said.

"I already called Dawnie," Willow said with a grin. "Party is in motion!"

"Rebekah is our party planner, so let's go find her," Elijah said.

Buffy hugged him, excited.

Klaus saw Aurora coming down and winced. He didn't think he could protect her much longer.

 _******Rousseau's******_

Marcel walked down the street toward Rousseau's, taking a moment to watch Gurufish play before walking into the restaurant, where a drunk Vincent was sitting at bar drinking a glass of bourbon.

When Marcel sat down next to him, Vincent sighed in annoyance. "Do I look like I need company?"

Marcel shrugged. "I tracked you down. Least you can do is hear me out," he said.

"Forgive me if I don't feel like drinking with one of your kind," Vincent said.

"I don't care if you like me. Some new vampires are in the Quarter from out of town—way out of town—and they want the Regent on their side," Marcel shared.

"Are you referring to the Strix wanting Davina to help them against the Mikaelsons?" Vincent asked in concern.

"And, if Davina says no, they're going to kill her. And I want her to leave town, but she would rather—of course—stay and fight. And I'd rather not sit back and watch her get herself killed," Marcel said.

Vincent thought about this for a moment and started to reply when Faith reappeared.

"I wasn't gone that long, and you already gave up my spot?" Faith asked, sitting on Vincent's other side.

Marcel's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Vincent smile warmly at the slayer.

"I told him to go away," Vincent said. "He doesn't listen."

"Well, I'm real good at getting rid of vamps," Faith said as she gave the very attractive vampire a once over. "However, he's too pretty to stake." When Marcel grinned, she whistled. "Damn. That's one lethal smile."

"Thank you," Marcel said.

"I didn't say that was a compliment," Faith said. "My ex had a smile just like that."

Marcel lost his smile. "Sorry to interrupt," Marcel said easily. "I was just telling him about a mutual friend who may need his help."

"What's the sitch?" Faith asked.

"Some vamps wanna use my friend Davina to do some magic against the Mikaelsons," Vincent said.

"Does your friend want to help go against the Mikaelsons?" Faith asked.

"Davina doesn't like Klaus at all, and she pledged to stand against them when she became regent," Vincent said. "But she loved Kol, and she is determined to work with Willow and Freya to bring him back. She won't want to work against them."

"Tell me this isn't some of those Strix?" Faith asked. "We've killed a few tonight. I'm all up for killing some more!"

"It's the Strix," Marcel told her.

"There might be a way to get her out of trouble... But you ain't gonna like it," Vincent said to Marcel.

Faith listened to his suggestion. "That's cold. You want to get her powers stripped and her banished from her witches?" Faith asked in disapproval.

"You can't do that!" Marcel said.

"If you want my help, that's the best way. If she's not regent, they won't target her," Vincent said.

"But you'd be regent. They'd target you," Marcel said.

"I'm not about to be manipulated. Davina is young," Vincent said.

"Well, I think this is a shit move and totally benefits only you," Faith said in disapproval. She jumped off the stool. "Buffy would be totally pissed 'cause I'm sure she and Red are friends with this little witch, right?"

"Willow has been working with her to get Kol back," Marcel admitted.

Faith glared at Vincent. "And you want to render her powerless? What the hell's wrong with you? This is not the plan," Faith said.

"It would work," Vincent countered defensively.

"Yea, and so would killing Tristan, which is my plan," Faith said. "I'm calling Red." She got out her cell. "Will. Your witch friend Davina is being targeted by the Strix. They want to use her mojo, and Vincent think the best way to help her is to strip her of her power as regent."

Faith winced as Willow yelled, and she pulled the phone away from her ear. "I hear ya. We're at Roussau's."

Two minutes later, Willow walked in and joined them at the bar. She gave Vincent a cool look. "You are _not_ stripping Davina of her powers. If the coven is going to be a problem, I'll deal with them. I'll deal with the Strix, too, if I have to," she said.

"I got them," Faith said.

"Klaus has a plan to take care of them, I'm sure," Marcel said. "He always does."

"You go talk to him about the vamps," Willow said to Faith. "I will go with Vincent to speak to Davina and deal with the coven."

Vincent had a feeling that the coven wasn't going to like how Willow dealt with them.

 _*****Mikaelsons******_

Willow left to take care of some witch business while Elijah called Tristan, inviting him to their home. Klaus and Elijah wanted to be a bit more subtle in dealing with the sire lines. However, Buffy was all for the direct approach. Her impatience with the entire situation won out, so they decided to confront the two siblings together.

Tristan arrived with a few of his Strix. Buffy, Faith, and Marcel were waiting. Tristan gave Faith a cold look but addressed Elijah.

"Where is Aurora?" he asked.

"I'm fine, brother," Aurora said, coming into the courtyard with Klaus.

"We want to know where you and your sister have put Rebekah," Elijah said.

"Do you think killing my Strix is a way to get any cooperation?" Tristan said sourly.

"I told your Strix to leave town," Buffy said grimly.

"Since they ain't good at following instructions, they're fair game," Faith added with a grin.

"Where is my sister?" Klaus asked.

"Yes, rest assured, Rebekah is perfectly fine," Aurora said with an easy smile.

"We need more than your assurances," Klaus said. "Where is she?"

"She is... at the bottom of the ocean," Aurora announced.

Elijah and Klaus glared at her murderously as she stepped away from Klaus and stood next to her brother. "You see, while I did ensure that Rebekah was dropped in the ocean, I don't know precisely where. I had some old friends do it for me... and then I killed them," she said.

"Aurora has procured the exact location of Rebekah's watery grave in two sealed envelopes. Hers contained the latitude," Tristan said.

"And Tristan got the longitude," Aurora added.

"Thus, each of us has one half of the coordinates you need to find your sister," Tristan said, looking smug.

"X marks the spot!" Aurora declared with a grin.

"Assuming, of course, you keep us both alive," Tristan said.

Elijah and Klaus gave him angry looks while Buffy pulled out her scythe. "I'm thinking I'll start slicing off body parts, ending your little game," Buffy said.

"You hurt either one of us Rebekah stays where she is forever," Tristan said grimly.

It seemed that they were at an impasse.

For now.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are wonderful! Thanks!_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Revenge

 _*****Not Where We Left Off*****_

An armless Lucien ran from his penthouse, fear for his life pushing him to flee like a coward. The slayer—Elijah's lover—had actually cut off his arm with that weapon of hers. He knew that if he hadn't fled, she would've taken his head. His long-time allegiance to Klaus Mikaelson would not stay her hand—he could sense that. This woman might respect Klaus—even be a real friend to him—but Lucien did not think she took her orders from him. Kidnapping Cami had drawn the slayer's ire.

"She took my arm!" he shouted in anger as the wound sealed. Would it grow back? He did not know. Enraged, he went to the house where the power was.

A witch stronghold, the abandoned house was on the edge of town. Lucien had struck a deal with the witches. He entered the house, calling out to them.

"That slayer took my arm! How can I defeat my enemies without my arm?" he demanded. There was no physical form for him to see, but he could feel their magical presence. It reached out, wrapping around him. Warmth filled him as his arm began to reform.

"That's more like it," he said. There were whispers on the wind, reminding him of their deal. "I know. I'm ready. There's just one more thing left I have to do." The slayer would get hers, but first, he'd teach that slayer what happens when someone dares to cross him.

***** _Willow*****_

Willow went to the cemetery where she could feel Davina's presence. The coven was gathered. She could see Davina on the steps of the large crypt. Vincent was already there, so he must have headed right over after leaving the bar. Anger filled Willow at the man's arrogance. Sure, he was motivated by good intentions, thinking he was helping Davina. However, his hatred of vampires made him totally prejudice against the Mikaelsons. Of course, the witches of New Orleans had been through some challenges, so they had a reason to be angry. However, they were short-sighted. Getting along with the Mikaelsons was the only way the town would stay whole. The Mikaelsons were strong enough to protect them from any threats, and Willow knew just how dangerous the world really was.

The witches could sense Willow's presence because both her aura and her power were incredibly strong. The group parted to let her through.

"So you're having a party for witches, and I wasn't invited," Willow said mournfully.

"Hey, Willow," Davina said, smiling at the witch.

"This is for our coven. You're not in our coven," Vincent said to her.

"That's okay. I don't want to be in your coven," Willow said. "You guys think you can bully Davina, take away her power."

"What?" Davina asked in surprise.

"This doesn't concern you," Vincent said, grim.

"Abusing a witch—one I consider a friend—is a concern of mine," Willow said.

"No one is abusing anyone," Vincent said reasonably.

"Not yet," Willow replied. She moved to stand next to Davina. "Trust me, Davina. Your coven is looking to replace you because of your friendship with the Mikaelsons."

"I'm friends with Haley, _not_ the Mikaelsons," Davina said. "Kol is dead."

"What about Freya?" Willow asked. "Isn't she part of this coven? She's a Mikaelson. Why wasn't she invited to this party?" She looked out at the assembled witches. Some looked angry at her presence, others afraid. A few heard of her power and were wary.

"I don't know. I didn't call this meeting," Davina admitted, feeling unsure of herself.

"Your pal Marcel thinks he knows what's best for you," Willow told her. "He thinks that you are going to be used in the fight with the sire lines. You're a pawn, easy for the plucking."

"What?" Davina asked, outraged.

"I think the witches of New Orleans need to understand who has the power in this town. It's not the Mikaelsons you should fear," Willow told the group. "It's me." She reached out and grabbed Vincent's hand. Chanting, she bound him to the others in front of her. Then she held up her hand and made a fist. The witches all bent over as the power was ripped from them.

Vincent looked at the woman in horror. With just a flick of her hand, she'd taken the entire group's powers.

"What are you doing?" Davina asked in confusion. Whatever she was doing to everyone else wasn't being done to her.

"I'm taking their powers like they were going to do to you," Willow informed her.

"That can't be right. I think you're mistaken," Davina insisted. "They weren't going to do that!"

"Ask Vincent," Willow said. "He and Marcel decided that he would be regent while you would have been stripped of your rank and power."

Davina shot Vincent a betrayed look. He was clutching his stomach but looking up at her. "Really, Vincent? I thought you were my friend," she said.

"I am," he said. "I was trying to protect you."

"Well, as you can see, Davina doesn't need your protection. She has mine, and she has Buffy's," Willow said. "When we raise Kol back from the dead, she will have him, too."

"Please," Vincent said, begging her. "Don't do this."

"I'm not a monster, Vincent. I just wanted your coven to get how much power I have. Even combined, you can't beat me," Willow said, her hair white with the glow of her power. She'd released her anger before walking over, so she wasn't tapping into dark magic. This wasn't the aggressive move it appeared to be—it was a lesson. One they better remember. "I grew my power on a hellmouth. While you all seek power in your political war with the vampires, mine grew out of necessity, a desire to save my friends and protect the world."

"What are you going to do to them?" Davina asked her.

"What would you like me to do?" Willow asked.

"Nothing," Davina asked. "If they really don't want me as regent, I will step down. Vincent can have the job. But they better not try to take my powers."

"If you're not regent, you won't have the full strength you have now," Willow warned.

"That's okay," Davina said. "Just give them back their powers."

"I was going to do that anyway," Willow assured her, smiling. Reaching out again, she grabbed Vincent's hand. Then she released her fist, the channeled power, flowing back into him and spreading back to the coven.

"You witches need to get it together," Willow said to the group. "Your ancestors presume too much. They keep meddling in the affairs of the living. If they think I can't figure out how to get to the Other Side, they're wrong."

"You know we can't control the ancestors," Vincent said. Her actions had rattled, and he knew he didn't want her as an enemy.

"You better warn them," Willow said. "Buffy is going to marry Elijah Mikaelson." Her announcement caused a reaction as the witches who knew who she was looked even more afraid. "She is the longest living vampire slayer. She has died and been to heaven—not the Other Side. I was the bad friend that ripped her out of heaven and brought her back. I am the witch that used her weapon to call all potential slayers. I know the moment they are called, and I can bring them to this city any time. In fact, many will be here for Thanksgiving. The Mikaelsons aren't your concern. They're mine, and they're Buffy's. Trust that she will always do what's best for humanity—that includes witches. She is a friend to witches and even vampires with souls. Her power, like mine, grows daily. The more slayers that live, the greater her power. This sire line war will end soon, and your city will be safe again." She looked at Vincent. "Don't meddle in the Mikaelsons business, and I won't mettle in yours. Do I make myself clear?"

Vincent knew when he was beat and nodded. "Yes," he assured her.

"Come on, Davina," Willow said, holding out her hand to the young witch. "We have a Mikaelson to raise."

Vincent watched the two witches leaving, foreboding filling him. The woman had too much power.

"How can a witch like that be allowed in this city?" someone asked.

"I don't think there's much we can do about Willow," Vincent said. "She is too powerful and not evil. Unless we move against her friends, she won't bother us."

"How can you be sure?" another asked.

"Because I was killing vampires earlier today with Faith, one of her slayer friends," Vincent shared. "They are a complicated group. We must tread carefully. If you accept me as regent, I will form an alliance with Willow. If she is our ally, she cannot be our enemy."

The witches murmured to each other, several nodding in agreement. Losing their powers like that had been terrifying. Others not present might not understand, but they all did.

"Yes," they all said.

"Be regent. Protect us from that woman!" Henry called out. Her power instilled much greater fear in them than Klaus Mikaelson or Marcel Gerard ever had.

Vincent smiled. "I will. I promise," he vowed. He and Marcel miscalculated this time, but his momma didn't raise a fool. It wouldn't happen again.

***** _Where Chapter 11 Left Off******_

Faith listened to the sibling give their ultimatums in disbelief. They kidnapped Rebekah in order to strong arm them. "Do these clowns actually think they can strong arm us?" she asked, looking at Buffy and Willow.

"Careful," Elijah cautioned.

"F*** that! I don't do careful. That's B," Faith said. "But I'll beat the shit out of that vamp."

Faith moved toward Aurora, who moved behind her brother.

"This would be a mistake," Tristan said, giving Elijah a look.

"You are under the mistaken impression that I control Buffy or her slayers," Elijah said with an indifferent shrug.

"I say we let Faith rip out her red hair," Buffy said with a cheerful grin.

Faith hit Tristan hard in the face. He tried to grab his sister and run off, but Freya had sealed the room before following after Willow. Only by her brothers' words would the siblings be free to leave.

"You aren't going anywhere, nor will you be rescued by your Strix," Klaus said smugly.

"Stop this, Nik!" Aurora begged as her brother took a hard hit.

"You can stop it. Give me the coordinates," Klaus said.

Tristan got angry and grabbed Faith's arm before it could hit him again. "That's enough," he announced. Then he broke her arm. Faith yelled out in pain. Enraged herself, she began hitting him hard in the face with the unbroken arm.

"I will end this," Klaus said. It didn't sit right with the him that Faith should fight his battles. Unlike he, she was mortal. He moved to Aurora, putting his hands on her head and stabbing into her mind. Flashes of her talking to the men with a boat where there. Grinning, he saw them hand her a piece of paper with the coordinates. As she looked down at the paper, he had the location.

"I got her half," he announced. Then he broke her neck, putting her out of the fight—in his own way, protecting her. Slayers were almost as bloody as he, and there was no telling what one of them would do if she pissed them off. Although she was angry with Aurora, a part of him will never forget the great love he once felt for her.

"Stop the fight," Buffy murmured to Elijah. Faith was holding her broken harm against her as she exchanged blows with Tristan with her other arm. Knowing Faith like she did, she wouldn't stop until she was seriously incapacitated.

Elijah nodded and moved to knock Faith back from Tristan. Then he punched his hand into Tristan's chest, his hand around the heart. "Give me your coordinates, or I will end your existence. It's as simple as that," he told him.

"If I'm dead, you'll never find your sister," Tristan gasped.

"You grossly underestimate Willow's magical abilities. She's busy resurrecting our brother Kol—a feat that is not beyond her. She will find Rebekah if need be, but I don't want to distract her from what she is doing now," Elijah said. He squeezed Tristan's heart, making him gasp in pain.

"Fine," Tristan said. "It is inside my jacket."

Elijah looked at his brother. Klaus nodded and reached inside Tristan's jacket and pulled out the envelope. After looking inside, he grinned. "We have it," he said.

Elijah pulled out his hand and used his other to get his handkerchief. As he wiped his hand clean, he looked at Tristan. "You are under the mistaken impression that my family is vulnerable," he said.

"You lost a brother, Elijah when Finn was killed. An entire sire line was destroyed. Then Kol died and another followed," Tristan said. "The remaining lines are in a panic. If you die, so does your entire line. Don't we have a right to ensure our existence?"

"So what's your plan?" Buffy asked, stepping forward. "Lock the siblings away somewhere, so you can live out your lives without fear?" When Tristan said nothing, Buffy had her answer. She stepped directly in front of Tristan. "Elijah and I are to be married. He will join his family with mine. If you have done your research, you should know exactly how powerful I am—how powerful my friends are. You might have your Strix, but I have an army of slayers. Your line is safe because I plan on living out my immortal existence with Elijah."

Tristan's mind raced as he considered the slayer's word. He did research her, learning all about the legendary Buffy Summers. Her act of activating all the slayers had changed her from human to immortal. Like a vampire, her powers grew the longer she lived. However, she was a killing machine, designed and trained with the sole purpose of killing monsters. How she could love Elijah and befriend Klaus was not something he understood, but his research had uncovered her past vampire lovers. She may be a vampire slayer, but she didn't see the world in black and white. Nor did she kill indiscriminately.

Tristan glanced at Klaus, who looked smug and bored. Could the slayer keep the hybrid in check? When his eyes rested on Faith, he realized that an army of women like her would be formidable indeed.

Nodding, he said, "I believe you might be right."

"So you will leave town, taking the Strix with you?" Elijah asked.

"I see another one, I will kill it," Faith said, glaring at the vampire as her arm throbbed painfully.

"I could send out word to my slayer houses," Buffy said. "Have them target your Strix across the globe."

"That won't be necessary," Tristan said. "We will leave and end the fight."

"Can you control your sister?" Buffy asked, looking down at Aurora who was stirring again.

"I will," he said, faking his confidence. His sister was difficult.

"What about Lucien?" Elijah asked.

"We will deal with him," Klaus said. Lucien would never take orders from Tristan. "However, I want one concession from Tristan. Marcellus. You wanted him, you have him. He will be my eyes and ears—a revered and welcomed member of your rank. He will tell me if you ever conspire against us again."

"You think a spy will be able to manipulate my Strix?" Tristan asked.

"I trust that Marcellus can win you over," Klaus said with confidence. "He is my protege in ways not even Lucien was. I taught him all he knows. He will be loyal to you in all ways except if you conspire against me and mine. If you do not, you will find him a suitable replacement for your recently departed Aya."

Tristan considered his words and then nodded. "Fine. We will welcome him," he said.

"Shouldn't you ask Marcel?" Buffy said, frowning. "He's not your lackey."

"He will see the wisdom of this," Klaus said.

"You want him to leave his home?" Buffy countered, clearly disapproving.

"This will always be his home," Klaus said.

"He won't want to leave," Buffy said.

"I will leave him to Rebekah. She will convince him of the wisdom of this," Klaus said.

"Shall we go get our sister?" Elijah asked.

"I will," Klaus said. "You stay here and plan the party. Our sister will want to celebrate your engagement when she returns."

Tristan picked up his sister and departed as Elijah led him out.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked Faith.

"Five by five," she said, wincing as she tried to move her arm.

"Let me heal you," Klaus said, biting into his wrist.

"What?" Faith asked, disturbed by the blood dripping off his wrist.

"Their blood heals, remember?" Buffy said. "Drink just a bit, and your arm will heal instantly. We need you whole in case Lucien has something else planned." Elijah stepped back into the room and moved to the liquor storage to pour a drink.

"Fine," Faith said, taking a sip. She grimaced and took the drink Elijah thoughtfully handed her to wash the taste out. But when her arm stopped throbbing, she smiled. "That is better than slayer healing!"

"I will see you all soon," Klaus said. "Time to get our sister."

"Faith, do you think you should go with him? Watch his back?" Buffy suggested.

"I will be fine. I'd rather she stay here in case Lucien decides to be stupid," he said. It pleased him, though, that Buffy felt so protective of him.

Once she married his brother, no one would ever stand against his family again.

***** _Rousseau's*****_

Cami wiped down the bar, trying to ignore the sense of unease she felt. Maybe should've went home instead of to work.

"Hello, Cami," a voice said.

She looked up and groaned. "I knew I should've gone home," she muttered.

"Yes, you should've," Lucien said, grinning. He grabbed her before she could run.

Cami didn't have time to scream, but his healed arm registered. How did he get it back so quickly? That thought was the last one she had before everything went black.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _As you can see, Aurora has been neutralized, so it's a change from the show. This will not go on as long as it did during season 3. I just can't see the sire lines taking that long to defeat with the combined powers of the Scoobies and the Mikaelsons._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Choose Life

 _*****The Next Day*****_

Rebekah opened her eyes as sunlight poured down on her. Blinking, she tried to focus her sight and heard her brother's voice. "You're okay, Rebekah," Klaus assured her. "I have you."

He held out his hand to help her step out of the coffin. "What the bloody hell happened?" Rebekah asked.

"Aurora had you trapped at the bottom of the ocean," Klaus said. "It took a day to get the coordinates from her and Tristan."

"Did you rip out their hearts?" Rebekah asked, angry.

"No, we came to an understanding," Klaus said. "They have left town and won't bother us again."

Rebekah gave him a glare. "And that's enough for what they did to me?" she asked.

"For now," Klaus said. "We have other things to do."

"Like what?" Rebekah asked, following him to the car he rented.

"Like plan our big brother's engagement part," Klaus said with a grin.

Rebekah was stunned. "Elijah is going to marry Buffy?" she asked.

Klaus nodded. "Yes," he said. "The new immortal slayer will be a Mikaelson. Now our enemies will pause a long time before moving against us!"

Rebekah gave him a disapproving look. "That isn't all she is, Nik," she said. "She makes Elijah incredibly happy, and she accepts us."

"I know," Klaus said. "I am genuinely fond of the slayer, and I couldn't have found a better person for our brother to love if I tried. It doesn't mean that I can't celebrate all the other advantages she brings to the table."

Rebekah shook her head. "You are shameless," she said in disapproval.

"I have a plane waiting for us. We will be home by nightfall," Klaus said.

***** _New Orleans*****_

Haley went into the courtyard to see if Elijah was awake. She knew he was engaged to Buffy and wanted to celebrate his engagement with a Thanksgiving party. After talking it over with Jackson, they decided to celebrate the holiday with the wolves. However, they would make a brief appearance at the party before retiring for the night. It was a little awkward for her, but she knew Elijah had moved on completely. Every day, Jackson showed her how much he loved her, so Haley was finding it easier to let go of Elijah.

There was someone laying in the courtyard. Alarmed, she moved quickly to investigate and saw Cami staring with her eyes open and no life left in them. Sickened, she reached for the note that was clearly attached to the body.

 _Your slayer took my arm, so I took your friend's life. But don't worry. She'll come back to you. Sincerely, Lucien._

"Elijah!" she called out. "Elijah!"

Buffy roused and elbowed Elijah. "Wake up. Someone is yelling for you," she mumbled, sitting up.

Elijah got up and grabbed his robe since he now slept in the nude. Buffy pulled on his dress shirt and buttoned it up and ran a brush through her hair.

"What's going on?" Willow asked, opening the bedroom door.

"Shut the fuck up!" Faith called out.

"Get your asses out here!" Hayley yelled. "We have a problem. Cami is dead!"

That announcement got everyone but Faith out the door. "If they're dead, what can I do?" Faith wondered as she went back to sleep.

Buffy ran down the stairs to Hayley's side; Freya was right behind her. Both of the women were looking down in horror at the sight of Cami's lifeless body.

"There was a note," Hayley said, handing it to Elijah, who read it and passed it on to Buffy.

Buffy read the note aloud. "I am so going to kill him a body part at a time!" she fumed.

"She's not dead," Elijah said. "He fed her his blood. She'll wake up a vampire, a part of Klaus' line."

Buffy groaned in disappointment. Then she looked at Willow and said, "I expect you to find a way to make him suffer for a _long_ time."

"Niklaus is going to be very upset," Elijah said with a sigh. "Lucien did this because he knows how important Cami is to all of us."

"Are you sure that he just didn't kill her?" Willow asked. She didn't see any bite marks, but her neck was clearly broken.

"Our kind of vamps don't normally drain someone they want to turn," Elijah explained.

"So how do we wake her up?" Willow asked.

"She should wake up on her own. If she wants to live, she'll drink blood and be turned," Elijah said.

"Our engagement party is in two days," Buffy said. "I want this clown put down, caged, or cursed in two days."

"I will get it done," Elijah promised her.

"Well, you two deal with Lucien. We're going to raise Kol today," Freya said.

Willow nodded. "It's time. Let's get dressed and have breakfast. Davina will be here in a bit," she said.

She and Freya left. Buffy looked at Cami and then at Elijah. "You stay with her while I get dressed. Then I'll take watch," Buffy said. "We don't want her to wake up all alone."

Elijah agreed. After Buffy walked away, he gave Hayley a curious glance. "What brings you here so early?" he asked.

"I actually wanted to speak with you," Hayley admitted. "I talked to Jackson. We're going to spend Thanksgiving with the wolves, but we'll make an appearance at the party."

"Your wolves are welcome at the party, particularly the men," Elijah said with a grin. "Buffy's slayer friends are all female."

Hayley laughed. "I'll let a few of the guys know," she said. She started to turn to leave and then looked back at him. "I really am happy for you, Elijah."

Elijah gave her a warm smile. "Thanks," he said. "She makes me incredibly happy."

"And she doesn't take shit from your brother," Hayley added.

He laughed. "An added bonus," he said.

Cami stirred and opened her eyes. Memories rushed back, and she sat up with a gasp. "Lucien!" she called out.

"You are safe, Camille," Elijah said, reaching out and putting his hand on her shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Cami," Hayley said.

"For what?" Cami asked.

"Lucien killed you," Hayley explained.

Cami had been around vampires long enough to know exactly what that meant. "He fed me his blood? I'm in transition?" she asked.

"Yes," Elijah said, nodding.

"Oh God!" Cami said, visibly upset.

"If you want to live, you'll be a vampire," Elijah said.

Cami stood to her feet. "I need to go home," she said.

"Come on. I'll take you," Hayley said. "There's time."

"It will be all right, Camille," Elijah assured her.

"I'm dead, Elijah. It'll never be all right again," Cami said, obviously devastated.

Elijah knew his brother wasn't going to handle this newest development well.

***** _Several Hours Later******_

Freya, Davina, and Willow were finally ready to bring Kol back. The ashes were in the middle of the pentagram. The three of them took three corners and began the spell, and the power built in the old church. Lightening came down and hit the jar. Then Willow stepped forward and deviated a bit from the script. Shouting unknown words over and over: "Rwy'n rhoi bywyd I chi. Rwy'n anadlu bywyd i mewn i chi."

The ashes formed a body, and she kept saying the same words. Freya looked at Davina in confusion. Davina shrugged, not understanding or recognizing Willow's words. It wasn't Latin or Sumerian. Then Kol's body was completely formed. Willow reached down and touched his chest, saying the words once more. Electricity shot through his body as he gasped.

Kol was alive again, and Davina called out his name. "Kol!"

Kol blinked, not believing that he was back with Davina and two witches that he didn't know even though one looked very familiar. Then he realized that one of them was Freya—it was his big sister back from the dead.

"We did it!" Willow said excitedly.

"What were you doing there at the end?" Freya asked suspiciously.

"Oh, well, I—" she paused, trying to figure out what to say.

"I'm alive?" Kol asked.

"We brought you back!" Davina said, excitedly. "I told you I would find a way." Then she was kissing him, and he was kissing her back.

"Davina, how about you let him stand up?" Freya said dryly.

Davina pulled back, beaming in happiness at Kol. She stood up and held out her hand for his, and then he was standing.

"Kol, this is our new witch friend, Willow Rosenberg," Davina introduced.

"The witch who's got the Other Side all nervous?" Kol asked, grinning. He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Willow took his hand and encased it in both of her own for a moment and then nodded as she felt him. "It is good to finally meet you," she said. "Your brother Elijah has just gotten engaged to my best friend, so we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"Elijah is getting married?" Kol asked in surprise.

Frey nodded and stepped forward to hug him. "It's good to see you in your right form," she said. She'd known him in a hijacked human body, but she'd never officially met him in his original form. Of course, she had seen him at a party once a very long time ago, but he didn't know who she was then.

"Nice to see you again, sister," Kol said. He looked around, frowning. "Where's Bex?"

"Klaus is bringing her home now, so she should be here very soon," Freya explained.

"Let's get you to your brother, and I'll tell you what you've missed," Davina said.

Willow took a deep breath. That spell had taken quite a punch.

"Are you okay?" Freya asked as they fell into step behind the two love birds.

"Yes, that just took a lot out of me," Willow said.

"So what did you do there at the end?" Freya wondered.

"I was just worried something would go wrong. That the Other Side might try to hold him back," Willow said. "So I pulled really hard with this life spell I came across in some Welsh text of Giles."

"Do you really think it was needed?" Freya asked.

"I figured it was better to be overprepared rather than disappoint everyone if we couldn't pull this off," Willow explained. "We regenerated a body and restored his soul. No small feat."

"But we did it," Freya said, reaching for Willow's hand.

Willow smiled at her. "Yes, we did," she said.

Elijah was party planning with Buffy when they returned to the compound. "They did it," he said as he spotted his baby brother walking toward him. He stood to his feet, holding onto Buffy as he did.

Buffy grinned, happy to see a guy walking with Davina that looked exactly like the portrait.

Kol stepped closer to give his oldest brother a tight hug. "I hear congratulations are in order," he said. He glanced at the woman next to Elijah with open curiosity.

"Yes, this is my fiancée, Buffy Summers," Elijah introduced.

Buffy surprised him by going for a hug instead of a handshake. "I'm so happy you are here!" she gushed.

Kol winced at the strength of her hug. "That's quite some muscle you got there," he observed.

"Oh, sorry. I forget sometimes," Buffy said.

"You're out of practice, little brother if a hug by a slayer causes you pain," Elijah said with a smirk.

"Maybe you can save some of those hugs for me," a voice behind them said.

They all turned and saw Rebekah back in her original body. Buffy grinned, glad to see her whole and well.

Rebekah ran to Kol and hugged him tightly. "Ease up, sis. I'm not as strong as I used to be," Kol said.

Rebekah pulled back and looked at him carefully. Then her eyes widened as she realized what was different about him.

"You're human!" she exclaimed.

Kol looked startled at her words and looked at Klaus, who was equally stunned.

Klaus put his hand on his brother and nodded. "You're completely human again," he said. He turned and gave Willow a dark look. "What the hell did you do to my brother?"

Willow beamed excitedly. "I wasn't sure I could do it, so I didn't wanna say anything, but I found this Welsh spell that was all about brining life back. I tweaked it a bit and thought that it'd be cool to bring Kol back as human, so he and Davina could continue the Mikaelson family line. You know. Give Hope a little cousin or something—someday. I mean, Davina is super young, but she's such a cutie, and I like her so much," she said, finally running out of breath.

Kol felt a stab of real joy and moved toward the redheaded witch he didn't know at all. He put his hands on her cheek and gave her a long kiss. "Thank you!" he said after he pulled back from a bemused Willow.

Then he grinned and ran to twirl Davina around. When he put her feet down, he began kissing her.

"Why did you do that?" Klaus fumed. "Now he's vulnerable to all our enemies!"

"Hey, I can take care of myself!" Kol said.

"I can take care of him just fine," Davina added, glaring at Klaus.

"We _all_ take care of each other," Buffy said pointedly. "Klaus, isn't it wonderful that your brother has a new chance at life? How about you thank Willow and congratulate your brother?"

Klaus gave her a dirty look. "Don't you have a party to plan?" he asked sourly.

"Oh, it's planned," Buffy said. "Now you and Elijah need to put down Lucien before I go and turn my slayers loose on this city. He's done pissed me off for the last freakin' time!"

Kol grinned, enjoying his future sister-in-law. She was so tiny and fierce.

"Buffy's not like other women," Davina murmured to him.

"No?" he asked. Davina shook her head and smiled at Buffy, who treated her like a person and not a freak.

Rebekah hugged Buffy. "I cannot believe it! You and my brother married! Do I get to be a bridesmaid?" she asked.

Buffy felt a pang of guilt. "Well, of course! I hadn't thought about it yet. Dawn's going to be Matron of Honor since she can't be a bridesmaid. Willow and Faith are going to be bridesmaids for sure." She looked at Freya. "Will you be one, too? Then we can have Xander as a groomsman." She paused and looked at Elijah, who was giving her an indulgent smile.

"Do I get to pick my own best man?" he asked.

"Well, I figured it be Klaus and now Kol as a groomsman. And Marcel. We're short one, so you'll have to make a friend. Or pick Tristan," Buffy said with a smirk.

"After you killed his favorite protégé?" Elijah asked.

Buffy looked sick. "Oh God! Killed! We didn't tell him," she said, looking at Elijah and glancing at Klaus.

Klaus saw all the women, but Davina look at him and then look away. "What?" he asked.

"We have some bad news," Buffy said. She stepped back, and Elijah moved to stand in front of Klaus.

"Lucien did something to get back at us for Buffy taking his arm," Elijah said.

Kol grinned. "You wacked off Lucien's arm? I wish I could've seen that!" he exclaimed.

"Klaus, it's bad," Willow warned.

Klaus was already angry at Kol's change in status, and now there was something more. "What? What's happened? Tell me!" he demanded.

"It's Cami. Lucien killed her—"

Klaus cut him off with a roar. "No!"

"She's alive," Buffy said quickly. "He gave her his blood."

Klaus closed his eyes as relief coursed through him. Cami wasn't dead. He hadn't completely destroyed another person he loved. "Did you give her blood?" he asked.

Elijah shook her head. "She went home," he said.

"Without completing the transition?" Klaus asked, upset.

"You cannot force this on her, brother," Elijah said. "It is her decision."

"Like bloody hell!" Klaus said, storming out of the room.

Davina shared a devastated look with Rebekah. Cami was their favorite.

Kol felt a bit lost at all the pain floating around. "I feel like I've missed a lot," he said as Davina threw herself against him and started to cry.

***** _Cami's apartment*****_

Cami was looking through her family photo albums. She missed her twin brother so much. If she died, she could be with him again. Her uncle, too. She turned another page and then sensed something watching.

"Are you okay?" Klaus asked from her balcony door.

"No, Klaus, I'm not. I'm dead," she said woodenly. She turned another page of the album, trying to ignore him, but his presence filled up every part of the room—damn the man. He had pulled her into his world and changed her for all time.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"You know that you can," she said in a cool tone.

"Yes," he acknowledged as he came in and sat down next to her, seeing her photos.

He waited in silence as she kept turning the pages. Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore, and he reached for her hand. "I'm so sorry, Cami. I didn't want this. I tried so hard to keep you away from all this, from me," Klaus said.

Cami looked into his broken eyes and smiled. "It's not your fault, Klaus. I can never resist the bad boys," she said.

"Do you hate me?" Klaus asked.

She shook her head. "No. I hate Lucien. He played with me like a cat with a mouse, and I thought I was free," she said. "I should've gone home or stayed with Buffy. I made the foolish decision to go back to work. This isn't your fault, Klaus."

"I will make him pay for this!" Klaus vowed.

"You can't keep punishing your friends who turn on you, Klaus. It's why these things happen," she pointed out. "Buffy and Willow will punish him in some inventive fashion, I bet."

Klaus flashed her a dimpled smile. "You're probably right," he said. He reached inside his leather jacket and pulled out a bag of blood. "I need you to drink this now."

Cami glanced at the blood and then stood, moving away from him. "I'm not sure if that's what I want, Klaus," she said.

"What do you mean? You don't want to die! I know you. You have too many things to live for. You have to drink this and live!" he said.

"Live my life preying on others?" she asked in disgust.

"That isn't who you are. It needn't be who you become," Klaus said.

"But that's what vampires do, right?" she said.

"I've known some who didn't. Some who didn't become monsters," Klaus said, thinking of his sweet Caroline.

Cami noted the smile and was curious. "Who? Who do you know?" she asked.

"Well, Josh for one," Klaus said with a smirk. "I know you love that boy. It's why I've not killed him."

"You like him, too," Cami said with a glare.

"There's been a few others like him or Marcel. Some who find being a vampire gives them more strength and grace than they ever knew they could ever have," Klaus said.

Cami was silent as she considered it. Finally, she looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm so tired, Klaus, and I don't want to always be fighting. I miss my family," she admitted.

Klaus pulled her against him. "They're not going anywhere, love. They don't want you to join them before it's your time," he said. "I knew your uncle quite well. He was a fighter, and he would want you to fight."

"He didn't choose to be a vampire," she pointed out.

"He was a priest. It wasn't something he could do, but you are not him!" Klaus insisted. "I'll be your family. Hayley, Davina, Marcel, Elijah, Buffy—we all want you to stay in this world with us. Choose life. Choose to live!"

Torn, Cami looked at him as she considered what she really wanted.

 _******To Be Continued******_

 _More to Come! Thanks!_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Taking Out the Trash

***** _The Next Day*****_

Klaus woke up with the sun shining on his face. His arms were around Cami as he had fallen asleep trying to convince her to keep living. He moved to see if she yet lived and felt relieved to discover that she had. Then he noticed an empty blood bag on the nightstand. She had made her choice, and he was filled with relief and happiness.

"Cami," he said, waking her up.

Cami opened her eyes, her senses flooded with so much. It was both startling and intoxicating. However, the strongest feeling was hunger, and the hunger was focused on Klaus almost exclusively. Without hesitating, she kissed him, pouring her feelings for the hybrid into the kiss as well as her passion.

Klaus returned the kiss with equal fervor, and then he broke it off. "Are you sure, Cami? Your feelings are being manipulated by your new senses. You might regret this," he said.

"I regret lots of things," Cami said. "But I'm not going to regret finally being with you. I know how screwed up you are and how much you piss me off and scare me. But I do love you, Klaus, and I know that you know that. I also know that you love me, too. If it's not a forever kind of love, that's okay. Forever suddenly means something very different to me now."

Her lips met his in a slow kiss as they each began to savor the other, and then they were lost in this moment.

***** _An Hour Later Elsewhere*****_

Vincent woke up, disorientated. Something happened to him late last night, and he knew it wasn't good. He got up to leave the tomb he was somehow in, and he couldn't cross the invisible barrier. When he tried a spell, nothing happened. This shouldn't be possible because he was now head of all the witches in New Orleans and was channeling their power. Whatever was keeping him here was stronger than all the magic in New Orleans. The only power that he could think of was Willow, but Vincent knew that it wasn't her. The slayer's best friend had no reason to punish him or trap him, and she was busy resurrecting Kol Mikaelson.

"Ah, I see that you're awake," a voice said.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Lucien stepped into the light. "I think you know," he said.

"What do you want?" Lucien asked.

"I had my remaining witches trap you here. My strongest witch is dead, so I need someone who can channel a lot of power to do a very special spell on me," Lucien said, stepping closer.

"Your witches shouldn't be able to contain me—not alone," Vincent said.

"Well, let's just say, they have a little help from others who wish to remain anonymous," Lucien said with a smirk. He handed Vincent a piece of paper.

Vincent looked at in and then glanced up in shock. "Where did you find this?" he asked.

"Haven't you figured it out yet, Vincent? Mommy Mikaelson is playing for my team and not her children's," Lucien said with a grin.

"You want me to make you an Original?" Vincent asked, looking down at the paper. It was a very ancient spell that Lucien should _not_ have in his possession. The Bennett witches would never betray their vow to the Mikaelson matriarch. Maybe Lucien was telling the truth. Maybe the mother was working with New Orleans witches and Lucien. It was a disturbing implication.

"Not exactly. I want you to make me stronger than an Original—something that they can't defeat," Lucien said. He gave Vincent a vial of liquid. "This is werewolf venom that I've collected from all the various werewolf packs. I'm going to be bigger, stronger, and more lethal than any of them. I'll kill that bitch slayer, too. Nothing will be able to stop me."

"You're forgetting something," Vincent said. "Willow. She's stronger than any witch in this city—stronger than me."

"She's not stronger than all the witches that have come before her combined together against her," Lucien said. "I've got power backing me, and once I get this spell done, it won't matter—she won't be able to touch me."

"If you've got witches, why do you need me?" Vincent asked.

"My other witches aren't as strong as you are now that you're the head of the coven. The witches—your ancestors—will give you even more power," Lucien said. "Witches today are not as powerful as the ancients. This spell will take a lot of power. Only someone like yourself can channel it."

"What if I refuse?" Vincent asked.

"Well, then you're no good to me, and I'll kill you," he said with an easy smile.

"I'm not defenseless," Vincent said.

Two witches came up behind Lucien. "I bet they can keep you from doing your mojo before I snap your neck," Lucien said.

Vincent realized that Lucien had him at a disadvantage. He put his hand in his pocket, and he saw that he still had his phone. The man was so arrogant that it never occurred to him that he'd call for help. "Fine. I'll do the spell," he said.

"I knew you'd see things me way," Lucien said. "Release him, ladies."

Lucien turned to go, and the two women brought down the barrier. "Follow us," one of the witches said.

Vincent pulled out his phone as soon as their back was turned and sent a text to Faith. Luckily, he knew all the cemeteries in town, and he knew exactly where he was.

Now, he just had to stall for time.

***** _Mikaelsons*****_

Elijah woke up with Buffy's lips on his neck, and he smiled. "Someone woke up in a good mood," he said.

"Tomorrow's Thanksgiving, and I'm feeling particularly thankful for my sexy and wonderful fiancée," she said. Then she kissed him.

Elijah happily returned her kiss, feeling more and more the darkness inside fade as he absorbed more of her light.

Their bedroom door was flung open. "Hey!" Buffy glared at Faith. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"Sorry, B, but get off the boy toy. We gotta go. My hot witch Vincent has been kidnapped," Faith said.

"What?" Buffy said moving off Elijah.

"Where is he?" Elijah asked.

"St. Louis Cemetery on Basin street," Faith said.

"Give us a minute," Buffy said.

"I'll go get Willow and Freya," Faith said, turning to leave.

Buffy jumped out of bed and grabbed her clothes. "We'll finish this later," she said, giving Elijah a lustful look as he stood naked before her.

Smiling, he grabbed his clothes and was dressed before Buffy put on leg in her pants. "That totally isn't fair!" she complained.

"This is even more unfair," Elijah said, kissing her. "I'll see you there." Then he blurred away.

"So not fair," Buffy grumbled as she threw on some clothes.

***** _Cemetery*****_

Vincent watched as Lucien's witches set everything up to do the spell. He was studying the spell, impressed with it despite what it meant. The spell would make Lucien every bit as powerful at Klaus even more so with the werewolf venom. Vincent knew that Buffy had sliced off the psycho vamp's arm, but it was hole now. This meant that Lucien was probably telling the truth, and he did have help from the ancestors. Vincent suspected that the Mikaelsons own mother was the main person behind it. There was no way the world needed a murderous and cunning vampire like Lucien to be even stronger. He was a serial killer, who enjoyed tormenting humans. At least Klaus killed out of anger and not sadism. However, after spending an evening with Faith, Vincent was convinced that the slayers would never ignore the bad things the Mikaelsons were capable of. In fact, he would be willing to bet that Elijah Mikaelson would become a demon hunter, aiding Buffy wherever she went. Most likely, all their basest instincts would be channeled to kill the things that Buffy and Faith normally dealt with. Buffy Summers was going to prove to be a more effective muzzle than Elijah had ever been.

Vincent was also not oblivious to the way Willow looked at Freya, so he knew that the slayer's biggest weapon would always side with the Mikaelsons. It was important that he find away to stay on her good side. Doing this spell would not be a good idea for him or the witches in his coven.

"It's ready," one of the woman said to Lucien.

"Let's get started," Lucien said.

"So what is it that you think you're going to do?" Elijah said as he appeared behind Lucien.

Lucien turned and faced the formidable Original. "What I am doing is none of your business," Lucien said.

"I see that you managed to get your arm back. I didn't think body parts grew back so fast, so I'm guessing you have some magical help," Elijah said. He gave Vincent an inquisitive look.

Vincent held up his hands. "It wasn't me! I was just kidnapped and forced to do his bidding, but he had the arm already," he shared.

"This reeks of conspiracy," Elijah said. "Who are you plotting with?"

"So many people hate you and your family that the list is endless," Lucien said with a grin.

"Niklaus was very angry that you harmed our friend Camille," Elijah said.

"Yes, I was," Klaus said as he made his own appearance. "Thanks for the text, brother."

"Your welcome," Elijah said.

Vincent decided that he needed to step back and moved away from the action as Willow teleported into the space. She was holding hands with Freya and Buffy. Faith was on Freya's other side. Grinning, he waved at Faith, who waved back. "Are you okay?" Faith asked.

"He didn't hurt me," Vincent said.

"How did you guys all know what we were doing?" Lucien asked.

Vincent held up his phone. "You really aren't as smart as you think you are," he said with a smirk.

Lucien grew alarmed when Buffy pulled out her scythe and started toward him. He looked at his witches, and they nodded. They raised their hand and knocked Elijah and Klaus several yards back several feet. Willow murmured her own spell, trapping the witches in an invisible box.

Buffy didn't waste any time and threw her scythe to Faith as she moved quickly to hit Lucien, keeping him in one place.

The magic of the ancestors, however, were with him, and he didn't feel much from her hit. Smirking, he said, "I think you'll have to do better than that."

"Okay," Buffy said, grinning as Faith swung the scythe.

Lucien held up his hand to grab it, but his sliced through his hand and then his neck. Not even the magic of the ancestors could withstand the ancient magics of the slayer's blade.

Klaus and Elijah moved to stand next to the slayers as Lucien's head rolled off his neck, hitting the ground with a hard thud.

"Man, that was fun!" Faith exclaimed.

"A bit anti-climatic, don't you think?" Klaus said. "I didn't get to rip out his heart."

"Sorry for taking away your fun," Faith said, slapping Klaus on the back. "But you can take out the trash."

"I can't believe your scythe worked against him," Vincent said. "He was empowered by the ancestors."

"It's more ancient and powerful than any weapon we've come across," Buffy said. "It's what Willow used to empower the slayer line."

"I'm going to go over to the Other Side and sever their link to the witches here," Willow said. "They're going to mind their own business. Watching over your family is one thing, but Freya's mother is actively seeking to end her family line. The other witches are going along with her. It's gotta stop!"

Freya felt sad that the mother she barely remembered still felt such distaste for her own children. She put her hand to the necklace she wore that contained Finn's spirit. At least she knew one witch wasn't trying to destroy them.

"Lucien had Esther's spell to make himself an original," Vincent shared. "He was also going to use werewolf venom he'd been collecting to make himself deadlier than Klaus."

"I wish he was alive, so I could kill him myself," Klaus said darkly.

"What else was Lucien planning on doing?" Freya asked the two witches.

"If we tell you, will you release us?" one of them asked. "Lucien enslaved us. We had no choice but to do his bidding."

"That's probably true," Klaus said. "Lucien loved preying on the weaker in a way I never did. It was because he was a servant when he was human."

"Tell us what you know, and we'll think about it," Willow said. She glanced at Freya, who nodded in agreement.

"He was going to kill your siblings with his bite, which should've been toxic to them," the witch said to Klaus. "And he was going to sever your line, so he would no longer be connected to you. All your enemies who were sired by you would be free to move against you. Without your siblings, you'd have no real allies."

Anger built in Klaus, and he pulled his leg back, kicking Lucien's head high in the sky.

"Brother, we can't leave that head for some tourist to find," Elijah said with a tsk. Klaus just glared at him.

"Lucien built a huge fortune," Buffy said. "Cami told me all about it. I think we should find a way to redistribute his wealth. Some of his victims' families deserve compensation."

"Cami is a victim, I'll give it to her. She can decide what to do with it," Klaus said with a shrug. "She can start a charity in her beloved twin's name. I bet she'll love that."

Willow grinned. "Trying to win some bonus points?" she asked.

"Trying to make her happy. It was hard to convince her to live," he shared.

"But she's alive? Drank blood?" Buffy asked.

Klaus nodded. "I'm going to return to her, and tell her the good news," he said.

"Are you sure Aurora is gone?" Buffy asked. "She is obsessed with you. Cami will seem like a major threat to you if she's around."

"Vincent and I will go look for her," Faith said, giving the witch a wink. "We'll make sure they're no Strix in town either."

"If you find any, give me a call," Elijah said.

Faith scoffed. "Yeah, right," she said. "If I find any, I'm going to kill them."

"Don't kill Aurora," Klaus said. "Leave her to me."

"Psycho vamp with a major hard-one for you? I don't think so," Buffy said, giving him a pointed look. "If she's in town, it's 'cause she's up to no good."

"Tristan will have gotten her out of town," Elijah said.

"He better have," Faith said. She handed Buffy her scythe. "You give the best gifts, B!"

"Thanks," Buffy said. "You making your Boston cream pie for the party?"

"Buy the ingredients, and I totally will," Faith said.

"Text them to me," Buffy said. She looked at Elijah. "We have to go shopping for the party."

"The food is already ordered," Elijah said.

"You're not getting out of taking me shopping," Buffy said, crossing her arms and giving him a look.

"Let's go, Vince, before she pulls out the lip," Faith said, smirking at her sister-slayer.

Vincent followed Faith out of the cemetery. "Thanks for showing up," he said.

"Glad you got word to me," Faith said, bumping her hip into his. "Are you coming to the party tomorrow?"

"You know I detest the entire Mikaelson family except for maybe Hayley and Freya," he said.

Faith shrugged. "So? They'll be free food and booze and me. What more do you need?" she asked, giving him a saucy grin.

"Nothing, I guess," he said, smiling at her.

"You know B isn't ever going to let the family cross any lines, right?" Faith said. "Buffy is a white hat—completely. I mean she's died twice saving the world. She doesn't know how to fail, so you can relax about her boy and his brother. And Willow might be more powerful. Did you hear that she brought Kol back as a human? He's not a vampire anymore but a witch."

"Really? How was that possible?" Vincent asked, impressed.

"Willow found a spell that brought him back and restored his life," she said. "Klaus was pissed, Buffy said, but Willow was thinking of Davina and babies."

Vincent looked bemused. "That woman shouldn't be able to do such a thing," he said.

"She formed her magical abilities on a hellmouth. It made her different than other witches, and she's super smart. Giles said the two things make her unique," Faith said. "Her mind looks for things others don't. If she's determined to shut down your ancestors, she probably will. Will you be all right?"

"I'm not power hungry," he said with a shrug. "I spent my time playing in the dark magic well, and I know what power can do. _Absolute power corrupts absolutely_. Willow plays a dangerous game."

"She's not all-powerful—just very powerful. As long as she doesn't lose her temper, she's fine," Faith said. "So where do you think we can find Aurora?"

"Let's check out the nicest hotels in town. If she or her brother's men are in town, that's where they'll be," he said.

"So three hotels and then one club. Three more hotels and then another club," Faith suggested with a wink.

"All work makes for cranky slayer?" Vincent teased.

"You know it," she said, grinning.

The two headed for Faith's bike.

***** _A Few Hours Later*****_

Willow was determined to get to the Other Side and give those witches a beat down, making sure they stopped their meddling. She convinced Davina to help her and Freya since Davina was a New Orleans witch who knew how the ancestors and their powers worked.

"You know as the witches in New Orleans grow stronger, the witches who passed to the Other Side should be growing weaker," Davina said.

"But not all the witches on the Other Side are witches from this city," Willow pointed out. "Freya's mother isn't."

"The Other Side is still Earth," Freya said.

"We know from our experiences with death that heaven is real," Willow said. "We know that hell is real—in fact there are different hells. Angel was in one. He also has been to a dimension where people are in personal hells. Buffy went to a hell dimension once that people were like slaves for demons."

"Really?" Davina asked, fascinated.

"So what's the plan?" Kol asked.

"We'll work a spell that will put Davina and I into a temporary death—like a walking death," Willow said. "You and Freya will stay on this side to bring us back."

"What?" Kol asked, upset. "I'm not letting Davina die even if it's for pretend or a few minutes."

"You don't speak for me," Davina said, glaring. "The witches over there have gotten too power hungry. We have to do something. I can lead her."

Kol didn't look happy, so Willow assured him. "Don't worry, Kol. We'll be fine," she said. "I know you don't really know me, but I'm really powerful."

"Yeah, I guess you are since I'm standing here as a human and not a vampire because of you," Kol conceded.

"What are you going to do when you find the witches?" Freya wondered.

"I'm going to convince them to move on or drain their power," Willow said firmly. "Either way, their ability to meddle is going to be over."

"Being a witch shouldn't require young girls to be killed and resurrected," Davina said. "It's a barbaric practice."

"It's one that we can stop," Willow said. "I've already taught you a bit. Eventually, you'll have the power you need without the ancestor worship. It's possible even for witches who were born here. They just have to be willing to learn it."

Davina nodded. "I'm ready," she said. Kol kissed her and moved away. She and Willow laid in the circle they'd created.

Then they began the spell.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _Bringing Willow and Buffy into season 3 just really changes things. I couldn't see Willow and Buffy not stopping him. I also realized that by convincing Tristan to leave the chain of events went down very differently from the show. Cortes and other vampires that take up the second half of season 3 only happen because Lucien and Tristan succeeded in severing Klaus' line from him. Sorry if it's too anti-climatic, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Thanks for reading. Take a minute to review, please!_


	15. Chapter 15

**This is the last chapter in this story as I've mostly wrapped up the characters. I'm really heartbroken about the tragic ending in the series finale of** _ **The Originals.**_ **I like thinking of my beloved Elijah happy with Buffy. Currently, I'll be focusing on "Klaus and the Dark Slayer" which focuses on Faith and Klaus without Buffy. If you read all my stories, you know it's rare for me to write a story without her. I flirted with a Klaus/Faith pairing in this story, but I decided to give Cami a better ending. My other story won't have Cami in it, so we can have a real Klaus/Faith pairing. Thanks for reading. Will I write another sequel to this story? I'm not sure. I do want to write an Angel/Illyria/Klaus sequel to "Healed By Love," so that'll be the next one I tackle. However, I do like the idea of writing Willow and Buffy facing offing with season 4 events, so you never know!**

Chapter 15: Always and Forever Together

 _******Mostly Where We Left Off******_

Klaus went to Cami and told her the good news. "Lucien is dead," he said after he kissed her hello.

Cami's eyes lit up. "Really? You killed him?" she asked.

Klaus grimaced. "Unfortunately, the slayers stole that honor," he said. "Buffy's magical scythe, I guess, can kill anything—possibly even myself. It's a good thing she's going to become my sister, or I might be very concerned about the power she wields."

"She wouldn't hurt you," Cami said. "She actually likes you."

Klaus grinned. "Yes, I know. She loves my dimples," he said airily.

Cami put her arms around his neck. "Well, they are quite appealing," she said, kissing both of them. "I've had more than one fantasy about them myself."

"She distracted Lucien while the other slayer sliced off his head," Klaus said.

Cami grimaced. "That's gruesome," she said.

"It was bloody glorious," Klaus said in satisfaction. "I did kick his head like a soccer ball. Of course, I got scolded for that. 'You'll scare the tourists.' Buffy is definitely my brother's soulmate."

"I like her," Cami said. "She gets along with Hayley, and that's good considering how she feels about Elijah."

"My little wolf is content with her werewolf, and as much as it pains me to admit, Jackson is a good man," Klaus said. "But I have more good news for you."

"Oh really?" Cami said, relief and happiness coursing through her. It was over, and she was going to live without the threat of that maniac hanging over her.

"Lucien has acquired quite a bit of money. I'm going to give it all to you to manage," Klaus said.

"What?" Cami asked, stunned.

"You deserve to live a life of luxury," he said. "And I thought you could start a charity in your brother's name with his fortune—maybe funnel some money to the family of some of his victims."

Cami stared at him a long moment, surprised by his suggestion. Once it sunk in, though, she squealed in excitement. "That's such an incredible idea!" she gushed, throwing her arms around him to hug him. "I can get Hayley and Davina to help me with it. Neither one of them have a job. Josh can take over the bar. He loves that place."

"See, you have it all planned out already," Klaus said happily. "I knew you would be perfect for the job."

"How will you get control of his finances?" Cami asked.

"Leave that to me," Klaus said. "You do know about the dinner party tomorrow, right? Elijah and Buffy are hosting Thanksgiving as an engagement party for all of her friends and family. We're going to have even more slayers in town."

"Guess you better behave," Cami said with a smirk.

"I intend on charming each and every one of them," Klaus said. "Do you realize how powerful my family will become when she marries Elijah? She commands an army of vampire slayers. Let's not forget Willow, the most powerful witch alive. She brought Kol back from the dead, making him human, and she considers me a friend."

"I can't believe she did that," Cami remarked. "It's so amazing."

"Have you seen the way she looks at Freya? If the two of them become lovers, I will never have to worry about Hope's safety again," Klaus remarked.

"Does Freya like girls?" Cami asked.

Klaus shrugged. "I know not," he said. "But the witch is very appealing. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be still trying to get her in my bed!"

Cami arched an eyebrow. "Oh really?" she asked.

Klaus grinned and pulled her back against him, kissing her neck. "She is not the one I love, however," he said.

Cami sighed, sinking into his touch.

***** _Mikaelsons******_

"Are you sure about this is a good idea?" Buffy asked Elijah as they walked into the courtyard with groceries.

"It's too many people to feed," Elijah said. "We will cater most of it except for the special dishes you want to cook. Buffet style in various places, so that people can eat when they want or dance."

"Okay," she agreed, stopping as she saw Willow and Davina in some type of pentagram circle. Kol and Freya were sitting on each side chanting.

"They must be doing some type of spell," Elijah said. "We best not interrupt."

"Willow said she was going to the other side and have a chat with your mother," Buffy said. "I wasn't sure she was serious."

"It appears that she was deadly serious," Elijah said. "Let's put away the food and take watch."

"I better text Vincent. I'm surprised he's not here," Buffy said. "He is the head witch in town now, right? What if something goes wrong? I hate when Will takes risks like this. They look dead."

"Don't interfere," Elijah advised. "They will be fine."

He led Buffy out of the room while the witches did their spell.

Willow and Davina, however, were only there in the physical form. Their spirits had already left their bodies and travelling to the Other Side.

"I thought it would look different," Willow said as she walked around. It was like they were still in New Orleans, but everything was a bit gray and colorless.

"How are we going to find Esther?" Davina wondered.

"I will bring them all to me," Willow said.

Davina watched as she closed her eyes and raised her hands. Willow was murmuring too low for her to understand her spell, but it worked. Suddenly, there was a mob of witches in front of them. Davina stepped closer to Willow and eyed the glaring men and women warily.

"Nice of you to come when I call," Willow said with a smirk.

The blonde woman, who they recognized as Esther from Mikaelson family portraits, stepped forward. "Why are you here? Haven't you done enough damage?" she asked.

"Me? Are you kidding me? I did what you could not. I brought your son Kol back to life as a human—magic that is far beyond you or your Bennett witch friends," Willow said.

Esther looked grim. "That may be true, but you are still allowing the vampire plague to continue," she said.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Willow asked. "There is a real plague on this planet that has nothing to do with your family line. Your children and their vampires have souls. They have the power to know right from wrong and choose to act accordingly. When they die, they will be judged accordingly. The demon vampires that Buffy and the slayers fight—that I fight—are the real plague. Your children are now a part of my family as Buffy is going to marry Elijah. I'm sure you know who she is and how strong she is. Do you really think that she will allow any of your children to massacre humans?"

"I do not presume to know what she will do," Esther said coldly.

"Well, let me assure all of you," Willow said, looking at the assembled group, "that the Mikaelsons are not your concern. The fact that you all had the bad judgment to empower a serial killer like Lucien is proof of how unfit all of you are to be guardians of the witches in this city."

"Who are you to judge us?" a man asked.

"I'm the woman with the power to send you to where you belong. You will go to your eternal judgement. Those of you that are genuinely good will go to heaven. The rest of you will go to a hell for the torment that you deserve," Willow said. "I will take your magic, leaving nothing to bind you to this plane of existence."

"You can't do that!" a woman cried.

Willow reached for Davina's hand, and she held up a large crystal ball with the other. The two women began reciting the spell that Willow had taught Davina. The power of the witches began pouring into the crystal. Instead of simply taking their power, Willow decided to have it ready to be given back to those still living. Davina watched as blue sparks seemed to come out of the witches, causing them to cry out and fall to their knees. The blue lights all hit the crystal ball, making it glow bright blue.

"Stop! Please!" Esther begged.

"No, I won't. You've done this. You assembled these witches to act against your children, empowering that psychopath Lucien," Willow said. The power continued to pour into the crystal until all the witches were powerless and lying prone.

"Now the Other Side won't contain any New Orleans witches anymore," Willow said. "You will pass on. Now."

Davina felt the push of Willow's words like a compulsion. Dark shadows came out of the ground, grabbing hold of several of the witches, and pulling them into the ground. Their screams rang in Davina's ears. "What's happening?" she asked Willow, feeling afraid.

"Judgement," Willow said.

"Are you doing this?" Davina asked, horrified.

Willow shook her head. "I'm not God. I don't sit in judgement. The way they lived their lives sealed their fate. The witches long ago created the Other Side as a purgatory of sorts. It's a way for them to escape real judgement," Willow explained. "I'm not going to destroy it as Freya convinced me not everyone here was going along with these witches."

More than two-thirds of the witches were grabbed and pulled into the ground by the dark shadows. Those that were left behind were weeping, frightened and upset by the scene. Suddenly, though, a bright light appeared in the sky and moved toward them. Almost as a group, the witches stood and slowly began to rise.

"What's going on now?" Davina asked.

"Those that were worthy are moving on to heaven," Willow said, a bit awestruck herself. "I've never actually seen this happen. When Buffy died, I wasn't on a spiritual plane, so I didn't get to see this."

The two witches watched as the remaining witches began to rise from the ground to join the glowing ball.

"Willow!" a voice echoed.

"Who's calling?" Davina asked.

"It's Freya. It's time for us to go," Willow said. The two women turned and walked toward the door. When they opened it, they were back in their bodies awake.

Kol reached for Davina, hugging her. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Davina said, standing.

Freya was helping Willow to her feet. Willow noticed that she had an audience as Faith and Vincent were there as well as Buffy and Elijah.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked.

"I'm fine," Willow said, handing Freya the crystal. "It's done."

"What did you do exactly?" Vincent asked.

"I went to the Other Side and had a chat to your ancestors," Willow said. "I was just going to destroy the Other Side like I heard those Mystic Falls witches did. But the witches keep rebuilding it, so it's really a waste of energy. And Freya pointed out that some people are decent enough over there."

"She drained your mother of her power," Davina told Kol.

Willow nodded. "Yes, I told her that she and the witches had way overstepped, and that they were going to face judgement," she shared.

"So these dark shadows dragged most of them into the ground. It was really freaky!" Davina shared.

"Really?" Kol asked. "Mother, too?"

"I'm sorry," Davina said, hugging him.

"Some of them did go on to heaven," Willow said.

"That's incredible," Vincent said, not sure how he felt about it.

"It was pretty amazing to see," Willow said. "This white glowy ball came down and, like, sucked them up. They just floated up into it. Then it went into the sky."

"It was really cool," Davina said as she leaned against Kol.

"So my mother has been permanently neutralized?" Elijah asked.

Willow nodded. "Yes, and I drained the ancestors of this city of their magic, and I put it here," she said. She handed the crystal to Vincent. "This is for you. You can disperse it among the witches. They no longer need to pray to the ancestors. This power will be theirs to pass on to their children."

Vincent was dumbfounded. "Wow, thanks, Willow," he said, holding out his hand to hers.

"Your welcome," Willow said as she placed it in his. She leaned into Freya. "I think I'm ready for a nap."

"We'll be in the kitchen getting things ready for tomorrow. Are you going to make your cookies?" Buffy asked her.

"Later," Willow said. "I'm wiped."

"Come on," Freya said. "I'll take you to your room."

"Thanks," Willow said, smiling at the attractive witch.

Buffy turned to Faith. "I got the ingredients you needed for the Boston Cream Pie," Buffy said.

"Cool," Faith said with a grin. She turned to Vincent. "I'm making my pie, so you gotta come tomorrow."

Vincent nodded. "Okay," he said. "I need to go and deal with this crystal."

"Did you guys find any signs of Aurora?" Buffy asked.

"Nope. The crazy bitch decided she valued her life after all," Faith said.

"We went to most the nice hotels and several clubs," Vincent said. "We didn't see any Strix at all."

"Good. It's finally over," Buffy said. "Davina, you're going to be there tomorrow, right? Marcel is coming."

"Yes, she's coming," Kol said, his arm around his girl.

Davina smiled up at him. "Thanks," she said. It was strange how comfortable she felt in the Mikaelson home, especially now that Kol was back with her.

The friends and siblings went their separate ways while Faith followed Buffy into the kitchen.

***** _Thanksgiving*****_

Buffy was on cloud nine. Everyone she loved was in one place for the first time in years. Dawn and Xander had even brought her niece, who was currently in the study demanding that Klaus turn into a wolf for them. Or rather Xander was making Joy say it. Naturally, Xander also had Hope saying, "Daddy wolf," over and over. Buffy figured by the end of the night, Klaus would give in to the two girls as they were each so adorable.

Elijah slipped behind her, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. "I hope you're enjoying your engagement party," he said.

"I really am," she said. "So far the slayerettes are getting along with Marcel's vamps. Faith is driving Vincent wild. Kol looks deliriously happy with Davina while Rebekah is dancing quite happily with Marcel. And Giles is here having a grand ole' time in your library."

Elijah chuckled. "Yes, he did look like a kid in a toy story when I gave him a tour earlier," he said.

Klaus came in with Cami, who had just arrived, and Buffy was quick to note the hand holding. "Looks like Klaus finally won Cami over," Buffy said, smiling at them. Klaus pulled Cami into a slow dance.

"How about we join them?" Elijah asked her. Buffy nodded, and the happy couple moved onto the dance floor.

Several minutes later, Giles was in the room and clinked his champagne glass to get their attention. Xander and Dawn were next to him, holding Joy by the hand.

"Excuse me," he said. "I would like to make a toast." Everyone stopped talking and looked up. "I wanted to propose a toast to the happy couple. It's been my great pleasure to know and guide Buffy since she was fifteen. I couldn't be more proud or love her more if she was my own flesh and blood. Everyone that knows her knows how courageous and utterly selfless she is. We all know the sacrifices she's made again and again saving this world. She's stopped about a dozen world-ending events and died twice saving the world, keeping hellmouths closed again and again." Several cat calls, whistles, and cheers went out. Giles smiled and continued. "It was her plan that empowered all the slayers here today. All of us who know and love Buffy couldn't be happier that she's finally found a true partner. Many people don't know this, but I have known Elijah Mikaelson since I was a much younger man. He saved my life, and I'd like to take come credit for this current love match as he asked for my help in dealing with his complicated sibling Klaus." Everyone laughed at that, glancing at Klaus, who smirked and raised his own glass in a mock salute. Marcel snickered at the human's description of his adoptive father. "I, of course, had the wisdom to send Buffy to New Orleans, and a love match between the two of the took place. Buffy, daughter of my heart, I wish you all the love and happiness that you deserve, and Elijah—if you ever hurt her, well, there's no place on Earth that you can hide!" The audience laughed. "To Buffy and Elijah!"

"To Buffy and Elijah!" everyone echoed.

Buffy was beyond moved and went to hug Giles.

Klaus clinked his own glass, getting everyone else's attention. "Well, now I have to follow that glowing toast and give my big brother his own good wishes," he said. "I, too, want to congratulate the happy couple. I'm beyond thrilled that Elijah has finally found a woman that I not only approve of, but I adore." He paused, flashing his dimples at Buffy, who blew him a kiss. "For 10 centuries, I have followed my brother, challenged him beyond all reasoning, driven him nearly mad with my recklessness at times. Always, he's stood by my side and forgiven me. He has never once truly given up on me, and for that I thank him. Although I have never deserved his love, I am grateful for it nonetheless. He is my true North Star, my guide post in life, and I hope to live another 10 centuries seeing the happiness that I know he and Buffy will have as husband and wife, the feats they will accomplish together—who would dare oppose them?" He winked at the slayer. "Buffy, I know I speak for all my siblings, Marcel, and Hayley when I say we are lucky to have you join our family. We want to welcome you to the Mikaelson family, where we vow to be there for you, always and forever." His siblings, Marcel, Hayley, Cami, and Davina all raised their glasses and said the words back. "Always and Forever."

It was a powerful moment for the family, and the slayers cheered.

Buffy and Elijah both moved forward to hug Klaus, ready to live their life together with them all—come what may.

Elijah felt the peace that had long evaded him as he stood with the woman he would spend eternity with, surrounded by his family and her friends.

He pulled her in for a kiss, murmuring, "I love you so very much. Thank you for coming into my life."

Buffy, her eyes shining with the depth of her joy, said, "You are very welcome. I love you, too."

Everyone cheered as the engaged couple kissed.

Not only had the Slayer managed to tame the hybrid, she had found her own prince.

***** _The End*****_

 _Some of Klaus' lines come from things he said about Elijah this season. I like my ending here for my beloved Elijah so much better than the heartbreaking one he and Klaus got in the Originals. I hope you enjoyed this. Although this story is one chapter shorter than the previous, it's actually longer in word count. Really, the two together make one long story! Here's your final chance to review. Thanks!_


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